Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the retinal effects of intravitreal potassium iodide in a rabbit model and to determine the extent of subsequent functional impairment and structural damage over a defined follow-up period. Twelve adult male New Zealand White rabbits were randomly allocated into two groups. The sham group (GI) received an intravitreal injection of distilled water, while group II (GII) served as the treated group and received intravitreal potassium iodide (KI). Retinal structure and function were assessed at baseline and during follow-up at weeks 2, 4, and 6 by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and electroretinography (ERG). Statistical analysis was performed using two-way ANOVA. Histopathological examination was conducted at the end of the experimental period. Rabbits exposed to intravitreal KI showed a progressive decline in ERG responses over time, accompanied by structural retinal damage in which OCT imaging revealed a marked reduction in overall retinal thickness. These findings were supported by histopathological examination and by statistical analysis demonstrating a significant structural and functional decline compared with the sham group. The findings show that intravitreal potassium iodide induces progressive neuroretinal degeneration in rabbits, characterized by functional loss and structural atrophy of the retina. This model is useful for studying iodide-induced retinal neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative changes in vivo.

Key words: Keywords: Potassium-Iodide; intravitreal-injection; neurodegenerative; electroretinography; optical-coherence-tomography