Anterior segment parameters of rabbits with rotating Scheimpflug camera

Abstract

BackgroundRabbit is one of the most commonly used experimental animals for corneal studies due to similarity of size to human cornea and ease of manipulation. In this study, we assessed anterior segment parameters of the healthy rabbit eyes with Pentacam HR (Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany). MethodsSix-month-old, approximately 2.5-3kg weighted, 30 female New Zealand rabbits were used in the study. Right eye of the each rabbit was imaged with Pentacam HR under intramuscular ketamine hydrochloride (Ketalar; Eczacibasi, Turkey) anesthesia (50mg/kg). After the imaging, the rabbits with blinking errors, which results in low-quality images, were excluded from the study. Keratometric readings, central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and anterior and posterior elevation values, and lens density were noted. ResultsIn this study, the flattest and the steepest keratometric values were found as 43.341.86, 42.7 +/- 2.0, and 43.9 +/- 1.9diopters, respectively. The mean CCT and ACD of rabbits were found as 388 +/- 39m and 2.08 +/- 0.16mm, respectively. Mean of the anterior and posterior elevation at thinnest point was found as 1.29 +/- 4.28 and 3.91 +/- 6.17m, respectively. ConclusionsKeratometric readings and anterior and posterior elevation values of rabbits were similar to human; however, corneal thickness and anterior chamber depth (ACD) values were lower than humans.