Abstract: Objective To design an instrument to complish helpfully partial optic nerve transection model and evaluate the repeatability of the transection model in rat. Design Experimental study. Participants 15 healthy Wistar rats. Methods The rat partial optic nerve transection model was established with the new designed rat optic instrument. After 13 models established successfully, fluorogold(FG) was used to label retinal ganglion cells of each model. The images of retinal ganglion cells in the retina were captured with fluorescence microscope. The retina blood circulation of the model was recorded with Ret-cam. Main Outcome Measures The morphology and distribution of retinal ganglion cells in the retina of each model was observed and measured. Results The measurement of unlabled FG retina area showed that the boundaries of unlabled FG retina were clear. The maximum coefficient of variation was 1.85%, average coefficient of variation 0.67%±0.44 %. Additionally, in the process of partial optic nerve transection, there was no retinal ischemia phenomenon. Conclusion This new rat optic instrument can be easily used to establish the partial optic nerve transection model with a satisfactory reproducibility. (Ophthalmol CHN, 2013, 22: 34-37) 

Key words: partial optic nerve transaction model, rat, retinal ganglion cells, secondary degeneration