# In Vivo Functional and Structural Retinal Preservation by Combined Administration of Citicoline and Coenzyme Q10 in a Murine Model of Ocular Hypertension

## TL;DR

This study shows that combining citicoline and CoQ10 helps protect the retina in a mouse model of high eye pressure, a condition linked to glaucoma.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel combination therapy using citicoline and CoQ10 for early neuroprotection in ocular hypertension.

## Key findings

- CitiQ10 reduced retinal nerve fiber layer thickening and vitreous particles in mice with induced ocular hypertension.
- Early functional impairments like reduced scotopic b-wave were mitigated by CitiQ10 treatment.
- OCT and ffERG proved effective in monitoring early retinal changes in response to treatment.

## Abstract

This study evaluated the early structural and functional effects of combined citicoline and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) (CitiQ10) treatment in a laser-induced ocular hypertension (OHT) model in Swiss albino mice, focusing on retinal inflammation and neuroprotection. Sixty male CD-1 mice were assigned to four groups: vehicle, CitiQ10, OHT, and OHT + CitiQ10. OHT was induced by laser photocoagulation of limbal and episcleral veins, and CitiQ10 was administered orally starting 15 days before induction. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured by rebound tonometry, retinal structure was assessed by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and function was evaluated using full-field electroretinography (ffERG). At 3 days post-induction, OHT eyes exhibited significant retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickening, increased vitreous particles, and early functional impairment, particularly reduced scotopic b-wave and oscillatory potentials. CitiQ10 treatment mitigated these changes, reducing vitreous particles, moderating RNFL alterations, and not exhibiting significant changes in ERG amplitudes. At 7 days post-induction, structural and functional deficits persisted but were less pronounced in treated eyes. These findings suggest that CitiQ10 treatment may attenuate early retinal damage in glaucoma, with OCT and ffERG serving as reliable monitoring tools, supporting the therapeutic potential of this approach in early stage disease.