Difference in Ischemic Regulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Pigment Epithelium--Derived Factor in Brown Norway and Sprague Dawley Rats Contributing to Different Susceptibilities to Retinal Neovascularization

The present study compared susceptibilities of Sprague Dawley (SD) and Brown Norway (BN) rats with ischemia-induced retinal neovascularization. An exposure to constant hyperoxia followed by normoxia induced significant retinal neovascularization in BN rats but not in SD rats, as demonstrated by fluorescein retinal angiography, measurement of avascular area, and count of preretinal vascular cells. These results indicate a rat strain difference in...