Induction of the laser-induced CNV is inhibited in the <i>Ikk2^−/flox/Nestine-Cre⁺</i> mice.

<p>The development of CNV after laser photocoagulation was quantified by scoring the fluorescence leakage and isolectin IB4 stain areas and measuring the thickness of choroidal neovascular membrane. (A–C) Fundus photographs and fluorescein angiogram (A–C) were taken from the wild type (WT), <i>Ikk2^+/flox/Nestine-Cre⁺</i> (<i>Ikk2^+/−</i>), and <i>Ikk2^−/flox/Nestine-Cre⁺</i> (<i>Ikk2^−/−</i>) mouse eyes that had been treated with laser injury for 7 days. The development of CNV was quantified by scoring the relative average size of fluorescence leakage in each animal (D) comparing to optic disk size. N = number of mice. (E–G) The images of Alexa Fluor 568 conjugated isolectin IB4 stained CNVs were taken from the indicated mouse eyes at 7 days post-laser injury. Arrows indicate the CNV identified by isolectin IB4 staining. (H) The summary of the mean CNV area from each genotypic animal was shown as relative to that induced in the WT eyes. N = number of mice. (I and J) Representative H&E stained eye sections show the neovascular membrane networks originating from the choroicapillaries passing through the broken Bruch's membrane. The white arrows with two arrowheads show the thickness of choroidal neovascular membrane. The scale bar represents 50 μm in length. (K) Quantification of the thickness of the choroidal neovascular membrane. Error bars indicate standard deviation. Two-tail T-test: * <i>p</i><0.05, *** <i>p</i><0.005. n indicates the number of laser-injured spots.