Visual evoked potential in RCS rats with Okayama University-type retinal prosthesis (OUReP™) implantation.

Abstract

Photoelectric dye-coupled polyethylene film, designated Okayama University type-retinal prosthesis or OUReP&#x2122;, generates light-evoked surface electric potentials and stimulates neurons. The dye-coupled films or plain films were implanted subretinally in both eyes of 10 Royal College of Surgeons rats with hereditary retinal dystrophy at the age of 6 weeks. Visual evoked potentials in response to monocular flashing light stimuli were recorded from cranially-fixed electrodes, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the implantation. After the recording, subretinal film implantation was confirmed histologically in 7 eyes with dye-coupled films and 7 eyes with plain films. The recordings from these 7 eyes in each group were used for statistical analysis. The amplitudes of visual evoked potentials in the consecutive time points from 125 to 250&#xa0;ms after flash were significantly larger in the 7 eyes with dye-coupled film implantation, compared to the 7 eyes with plain film implantation at 8 weeks after the implantation (P&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.05, repeated-measure ANOVA). The photoelectric dye-coupled polyethylene film, as retinal prosthesis, gave rise to visual evoked potential in response to flashing light.