The Effect of Rolipram on Visual Cortical Plasticity in Amblyopia Model: Experimental Animal Study

Abstract

Electrophysiological and electron microscopic investigation of the effect of rolipram on visual cortical plasticity in a monocular deprived rat model. Material and Methods: Twenty-four female Wistar albino rats were randomly assigned into 6 groups, 4 rats in each. The right eyelids of all rats except the control group were sutured to induce amblyopia. We subjected rats at postnatal day 21 to a monocular deprivation (MD) model until postnatal day 45. Then, the deprived eyes of the MD model rats were reopened' cümlesi çıkarılarak 'On day 46, the deprived eyes of the rats were opened.On day 46, the deprived eyes of the rats were opened. Rats were treated with rolipram or vehicle for 10 days. The ultrastructural modifications in the synaptic junction and the changes to the visual evoked potentials (VEP) were analyzed. Results: In flash VEP, the P2 latency was prolonged and the P2 amplitude was reduced in monocularly deprived rats. With rolipram treatment, the P2 latency became shorter and the amplitude increased. In the monocularly deprived rats, the ultrastructural analysis showed that the synapses in the pyramidal neurons were impaired, the synaptic clefts were expanded, the synaptic active zones were shorter, and the thicknesses of the postsynaptic density were decreased. However, rolipram treatment improved all of the structural indices in the MD rats. Conclusion: This study shows that rolipram provides structural and functional improvement in visual cortex in amblyopia model in rats. Rolipram shows promise in the treatment of amblyopia and more research is needed.