Control of ocular circulation

In this volume Prof. Dr. Esmeralda Delgado summarizes the content of the research that led to her PhD thesis under the theme of the local control of ocular circulation in an isolated model of rabbit eye. The eye is our window to the world and the loss of its functionality has a profound and devastating effect on the way we interact with the environment around us. The ocular circulation comprises two compartments: a retinal and a choroidal compartment and the control of ocular circulation is a vital component in the maintenance of retinal homeostasis. Understanding the local control mechanisms is a key factor to the development of effective treatments to restore a normal retinal blood flow in disease situations. In this work we developed an experimental model of isolated rabbit eye to help clarifying the local mechanisms of control of ocular circulation, independently of other interferences present in an “in vivo” model. This in situ model mimics most of the vascular connections present in the living animal, allowing the study of the intrinsic mechanisms of regulation of ocular circulation yet eliminating neural influences.