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SCIENTIFIC POSTER SESSION

KETAMINE NEUROPROTECTION IN THE RABBIT RETINA AFTER PARS PLANA VITRECTOMY WITH SILICONE OIL TAMPONADE
Rubens Camargo Siqueira , Rodrigo Jorge, M.W. Paques, Jose A. Cardillo, Renato Guizzo, Wagner.F. Santos
Brazil

Purpose: To verify the neuroprotective potential of ketamine in the rabbit retina after pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade.
Methods: Twenty young albino rabbits underwent standard three port pars plana vitrectomy with intravitreal silicone oil injection. The rabbits were then randomized into 2 groups. Group I received an intramuscular daily dose of 50 mg/ml of ketamine and group II received an intramuscular daily injection of saline. The animals were euthanized 4 weeks after vitrectomy and the eyes processed for light microscopy. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the retinal cells were made using Zeiss Axioplot microscope and KS400 software (Carl Zeiss Vision).
Results: Light microscopy showed a higher rate of picnotic nuclei in retinas from group II. Group I retinal cell density from the inner nuclear and ganglionar cell layers was significantly higher (student´s-t-test) in group I retinas when compared to Group II. Although retinal cell density from the outer nuclear layer was higher in Group I, the difference was not statiscally significant.
Conclusion: Ketamine was effective in reducing retinal cell death related to silicone oil injury one month after vitrectomy.