Positional variance of intraocular pressure in conscious New Zealand white rabbits

Introduction Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible vision loss. It is a complex optic neuropathy, with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) as one of the major risk factors. Recent studies are exploring new devices and technologies for continuous IOP measurement to better monitor glaucoma progression. Rapid and reliable methods for inducing alterations in IOP in laboratory animals may facilitate the development of these technologies. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in IOP in conscious rabbits placed in different body positions and to assess whether IOP changed with increased duration in each position. Methods The IOP (mean ± SD mmHg) of twelve New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits, six males and six females, was measured at 1-minute intervals for 5 minutes in prone (19.8 ± 3.7), head-up (18.3 ± 2.7), head-down (22.5 ± 3.6), and supine (23.9 ± 3.8) positions. Results IOP differed significantly among all positions (p < 0.001). When IOP measurements obtained from minutes 1 to 5 were compared, no significant differences were observed within any position (p > 0.38). Discussion IOP in rabbits can be significantly altered by changing body position among prone, head-up, head-down, and supine positions. These findings should be considered in future ocular studies using NZW rabbits and may inform further investigations involving continuous IOP-monitoring devices.