Research Group on Infectious Diseases in Production Animals (GREMIP) and Swine and Poultry Infectious Disease Research Center (CRIPA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 70354Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada.
67115Charles River Laboratories Montreal ULC, Laval, Quebec, Canada.
Vet Pathol. 2020 Nov;57(6):889-914. doi: 10.1177/0300985820954551. Epub 2020 Oct 6.
Pigs are considered one of the relevant animal models for ocular research as they share several histological and anatomical similarities with the human eye. With the increasing interest in juvenile animal models, this study aimed to describe the postnatal development of ocular structures in 16 Göttingen minipigs and 25 F2 domestic pigs, between birth and 6 months of age, using histopathology and immunohistochemistry against Ki-67, caspase-3, calbindin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, rhodopsin, and synaptophysin. All ocular structures in both pig breeds were incompletely developed at birth and for variable periods postnatally. Noteworthy histological features of immaturity included vascularization in the corneal stroma in neonatal Göttingen minipigs, increased cellularity in different substructures, remnants of the hyaloid vasculature, short and poorly ramified ciliary body processes, and a poorly developed cone inner segment. Increased cellular proliferation, highlighted by abundant Ki-67 immunolabeling, was observed in almost all developing structures of the pig eye for variable periods postnatally. Apoptosis, highlighted with caspase-3 immunolabeling, was observed in the retinal inner nuclear layer at birth and in the regressing hyaloid vasculature remnants. Immunohistochemistry against rhodopsin, synaptophysin, and calbindin demonstrated the short size of the developing photoreceptors and the immature cone inner segment morphology. Calbindin labeling revealed significant differences in the amount of positively labeled cone nuclei between the retinal area centralis and the non-area centralis regions. The elongation of Müller cell processes in the developing retina was shown with glial fibrillary acidic protein. In both pig breeds, the eyes reached histomorphological and immunohistochemical maturity at 6 months of age.
猪被认为是眼部研究的相关动物模型之一，因为它们在组织学和解剖学上与人类眼睛有许多相似之处。随着对幼年动物模型的兴趣增加，本研究旨在描述 16 头哥廷根小型猪和 25 头 F2 家猪的眼部结构从出生到 6 月龄的发育情况，使用 Ki-67、caspase-3、钙结合蛋白、胶质纤维酸性蛋白、视蛋白和突触素进行组织病理学和免疫组织化学染色。两种猪的所有眼部结构在出生时都未完全发育，并且在出生后不同时期都有不同程度的发育。不成熟的显著组织学特征包括新生哥廷根小型猪角膜基质中的血管化、不同亚结构中的细胞增多、脉络膜血管残留物、短而分枝不良的睫状体过程以及发育不良的锥体内节。在出生后不同时期，几乎所有猪眼发育结构中都观察到大量 Ki-67 免疫标记所强调的细胞增殖。在视网膜内核层和正在退化的脉络膜血管残留物中观察到细胞凋亡，由 caspase-3 免疫标记突出显示。用视蛋白、突触素和钙结合蛋白进行免疫组织化学染色表明，发育中的光感受器和不成熟的锥体内节形态较小。钙结合蛋白标记显示视网膜中央区和非中央区之间阳性标记锥体核的数量存在显著差异。发育中的视网膜中 Müller 细胞突起的伸长通过胶质纤维酸性蛋白显示。在两种猪中，眼睛在 6 月龄时达到组织形态学和免疫组织化学成熟。
