VEGF-A-induced changes in distal outflow tract structure and function

Purpose To investigate changes in distal outflow tract vessels caused by VEGF-A and their impact on outflow. Methods We compared VEGF-A perfused porcine anterior segments with and without trabecular meshwork (TM) to control eyes. In the first experiment ( n =48), we analyzed live changes of the outflow tract with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) over 3 h and reconstructed them in 3D. In a second experiment ( n =32), we measured the intraocular pressure (IOP) variation in response to VEGF-A over 48 h and computed the outflow facility. Results VEGF-A increased the vessel volume of the distal outflow tract by 16.8±10.6% while control eyes remained unchanged (0.5±6.8%). Volume changes occurred within the first 100 min before plateauing at 140 min. VEGF-A enhanced the outflow facility in eyes without TM by 38.6±25.5% at 24 h as compared to controls ( p <0.05). Conclusion VEGF-A dilated vessels of the distal outflow tract and increased the outflow facility even after TM removal, pointing to a regulatory mechanism independent of proximal structures.