Abstract: To explore the possibility of only octreotide or octreotide combined with transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) to inhibit choroidal neo-vascularization (CNV) in rat models. MethodsCNV was induced in adult rats with laser photoagulation. On postoperative day 7 PBS was retrobulbarly administered to 6 rats, octreotide 50μg/kg only to 6 rats, and octreotide 50?μg/kg combined with TTT to 6 rats. An additional 3 rats were not treated with laser or retrobulbar injection. On day 14 after photoagulation, fluorescein angiography was used to observe the fluorescein leakage, quantitative analysis on choroidal flatmounts was performed to evaluate the changes of CNV lesions, and quantitative real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) examinations were used to observe the changes of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1) mRNA in RPE-choroidal complex. ResultsThe results demonstrated octreotide only or the combined therapy significantly inhibited fluorescein leakage on FA and the extent of neovascularization on choroidal flatmount of rat CNV models, and the VEGF and IGF1 mRNA levels were obviously decreased following both treatments (P<0.05). Combined administration was more efficient (P<0.05). ConclusionOctreotide combined with TTT may provide a potential new therapeutic strategy for CNV.

Key words: Choroidal neovascularization, Octreotide, Transpupillary thermotherapy, Treatment outcome, Rats