Layer-Specific Retinal & Choroidal Blood-Flow MRI of Retinitis Pigmentosa in Mice

Eric R. Muir¹, Bryan H. De La Garza¹, Timothy Q. Duong¹

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), which causes photoreceptor death and blindness, affects 1.5 million people worldwide. The vasculature and blood flow (BF) of the retina is attenuated in RP. The retina is nourished by two separate vasculatures, the retinal and choroidal vessels. Arterial spin labeling was used to image layer-specific, quantitative retinal and choroidal BF in the rd10 mouse model of RP at different stages of disease at 42x42x400 microns. Retinal BF was reduced as the retina degenerated, while choroidal BF was unchanged. MRI provided a non-invasive method to monitor vascular changes in rodents in vivo.