[The use of mice in glaucoma research --to clarify the mechanism of intraocular pressure regulation and retinal ganglion cell damage].

Animal models are indispensable for glaucoma research, because intraocular pressure (IOP) regulation, IOP reduction by ocular hypotensive drugs, and chronic progressive glaucomatous optic neuropathy stem from the eye and its adnexa. The mouse, an excellent animal model available as transgenic mice which are an outstanding experimental tool, has been recently applied for glaucoma research. Many regulating factors such as diurnal variation, body position, and clock genes have been elucidated since accurate measurements of mouse IOP have been published in this decade. These advances were followed by clarification of the molecular mechanism of IOP reduction by eye drops and of the aqueous humor dynamics using transgenic mice. Now, the pathogenesis of glaucomatous optic neuropathy is being investigated using glaucoma mouse models and transgenic mice expressing fluorescent proteins in retinal ganglion cells. By comparing the differences between mouse and human eyes, the mechanism of IOP regulation and retinal ganglion cell damage will be gradually revealed.