Figure 14.

Histopathology of the optic nerve head. (a). Optic nerve head of rat retina after episcleral vein cauterization at week 4 in controls. (b). Optic nerve head of rat retina after episcleral vein cauterization at week 4 in controls. (c). Optic nerve head of rat retina after episcleral vein cauterization at week 4 in BPC 157-treated rats. (d). Optic nerve head of rat retina after episcleral vein cauterization at week 6 in BPC 157-treated rats. Optic nerve head excavation (black arrow) and thickness of anterior prelaminar region (double red arrow); HE staining, magnification ×20, scale bar 200 μm). Transverse section in the center of the optic nerve head showing a strict difference in the optic nerve head and optic nerve in the rats that received saline and those that received BPC 157. Optic nerve head in rats that received BPC 157 at week 4 (c) presented as not excavated, while optic nerve thickness and optic nerve head of anterior prelaminar region were preserved. On the contrary, in rats that received saline, at week 4 (a) optic nerve head excavation was present, while optic nerve and optic nerve head of anterior prelaminar region thickness was reduced. In rats that received BPC 157 at week 6 (d), optic nerve head excavation was not excavated at all, and optic nerve thickness was preserved. In rats that received saline at week 6 (b), optic nerve head excavation and reduction in optic nerve thickness was more pronounced. A similar effect was noted with all BPC 157 regimens. A total of 6 rats/group/interval.