Preservation of Structure and Immunoreactivity at the Vitreoretinal Interface of the Rabbit Eye

Background The vitreous body is implicated in the etiology and pathology of a variety of retinal conditions. Many such conditions are treated surgically to remove the posterior vitreous from the inner limiting lamina (ILL) of the retina, and there is current interest in the adjunct use of enzymes for this purpose. To evaluate the efficacy of these agents in future preclinical studies, improved preservation and assessment methods were developed to establish a baseline histological profile of the vitreous and retina of the rabbit, to identify and distinguish artifactual vitreoretinal separation from authentic posterior vitreous detachment, and to preserve structural integrity while maintaining antigenicity for immunohistochemical analysis.