Animal models for retinitis pigmentosa induced by MNU; disease progression, mechanisms and therapeutic trials.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited neurodegenerative diseases in humans characterized by loss of photoreceptor cells leading to visual disturbance and eventually to blindness. A single systemic administration of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) causes retinal degeneration in various animal species. The retinal degeneration is highly reproducible, and the photoreceptor cell loss occurs within seven days after MNU administration via apoptosis resembling human RP. Here, we describe the disease progression, disease mechanisms, and therapeutic trials of MNU-induced retinal degeneration.