Laser Model of Ocular Hypertension in Nonhuman Primates

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This chapter describes a protocol to generate a chronic model of elevated intraocular pressure in nonhuman primates. The main piece of equipment is a good laser designed for use in humans but dedicated exclusively for NHP use. The preoperative procedures include anesthesia, which should be done by certified trained personnel. The actual laser procedure only takes a few minutes, preferably by an ophthalmologist. Forty spots are administered to one eye around 8 clock hours of the trabecular meshwork (80 spots). The fellow eye remains untouched. The animal is allowed to recover for one month, during which time it is monitored daily. Intraocular pressures (IOPs) are taken every few days. The laser procedure is repeated at one month (30 spots) and possibly two months (15 spots) depending on the rise in pressure. The contralateral eye is never lasered. Recovery from the last laser procedure requires three to six months, after which time the animal is ready for study. The IOPs of the lasered eye will be more variable than the contralateral eye. A successful procedure yields unilateral ocular hypertension that persists for years.