A novel murine model of aging of the human retina

Purpose Accumulation of lipids, and especially of cholesteryl esters, under the retinal pigment epithelium and within Bruch’s membrane is a normal feature of aging and has also been observed in human eyes with age-related maculopathy. Our objective was to evaluate the retinal phenotype of apoB100,LDLR-/- mice, a model for lipid metabolism dysfunction and potentially of aging of the retina. Methods ApoB100,LDLR-/- mice were studied at 7 and 14 months of age by standard scotopic and photopic electroretinography by comparison to control animals. Fundus images were obtained with a confocal SLO (Heidelberg Retina Angiograph). The integrity of the vascular system was investigated by means of fluo…