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Background To evaluate the in vivo and in vitro toxicity of a new formulation of liposome-encapsulated sirolimus (LES). Methods In vitro experiments were done using ARPE-19 and HRP cells. An MTT assay was used to determine cell metabolic activity and a TUNEL assay for detecting DNA fragmentation. In vivo experiments were conducted on New Zealand albino rabbits that received intravitreal injections of empty liposomes (EL) or different concentrations of LES. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed on the rabbit’s eyes following injection. Results Eighteen eyes of nine rabbits were used. MTT assay cell viability was 95.04% in group 1 (12.5 µL/mL LES). 92.95% in group 2 (25 µL/mL LES), 91.59% in group 3 (50 µL/mL LES), 98.09% in group 4 (12.5 µL/mL EL), 95.20% on group 5 (50 µL/mL EL), 98.53% in group 6 (50 µL/mL EL), and 2.84% on group 8 (50 µL/mL DMSO). There was no statistically significant difference among groups 1 to 7 in cell viability (p = 1.0), but the comparison of all groups with group 8 was significant (p Conclusion A novel formulation of LES delivered intravitreally did not cause in vitro toxicity, as evaluated by MTT and TUNEL assays, nor in vivo toxicity as evaluated by histopathology and immunohistochemistry in rabbit eyes.

Purpose: To investigate choriocapillaris (CC) alteration in patients with nascent geographic atrophy (nGA) and/or drusen-associated geographic atrophy (DAGA) using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: A 1,050-nm wavelength, 400 kHz A-scan rate swept-source optical coherence tomography prototype was used to perform volumetric swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography over 6 mm × 6 mm fields of view in patients with nGA and/or DAGA. The resulting optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCTA data were analyzed using a combination of en face and cross-sectional techniques. Variable interscan time analysis (VISTA) was used to differentiate CC flow impairment from complete CC atrophy. Results: A total of 7 eyes from 6 patients (mean age: 73.8 ± 5.7 years) were scanned. Seven areas of nGA and three areas of DAGA were identified. Analysis of cross-sectional OCT and OCTA images identified focal alterations of the CC underlying all seven areas of nGA and all three areas of DAGA. En face OCTA analysis of the CC revealed diffuse CC alterations in all eyes. Variable interscan time analysis processing suggested that the observed CC flow alterations predominantly corresponded to flow impairment rather than complete CC atrophy. Conclusion: The OCTA imaging of the CC revealed focal CC flow impairment associated with areas of nGA and DAGA, as well as diffuse CC flow impairment throughout the imaged field. En face OCT analysis should prove useful for understanding the pathogenesis of nGA and DAGA and for identifying the formation of nGA and DAGA as endpoints in therapeutic trials., National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grants NIH R01-EY011289-29A, R44-EY022864, R01-CA075289-16, FA9550-15-1-0473 and FA9550-12-1-0499)

To describe the appearance of a scleral-derived feeder vessel in a highly myopic eye with secondary choroidal neovascularization (CNV) as visualized on both en face high-speed swept-source (SS) optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) prototype, and a commercially available spectral-domain (SD) OCTA, with the corresponding en face and cross-sectional structural OCT images. In this case report, a 60-year-old white male presented with high myopia and secondary CNV in the right eye, previously treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, and was imaged on both SD-OCT and SS-OCT. The neovascular complex could be visualized on both devices. Structural en face SS-OCT images demonstrated a large choroidal-scleral feeder vessel that was not visualized with SD-OCT. The authors concluded that structural en face SS-OCT better visualizes scleral feeder vessel compared to SD-OCT due to the longer wavelength (∼1,050 nm) with increased choroidal penetration and decreased sensitivity roll-off in the SS-OCT system. [ Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina . 2016;47:960–964.]