Recent work suggests that mammalian retinal ganglion cells may become more like developing ganglion cells in form while regenerating through a peripheral nerve graft. We have injected Lucifer Yellow into regenerating ganglion cells of goldfish to look for similar changes. Within three weeks of injury, we saw dye-coupling to nearby cells, which is a common developmental feature in many species. ...

T projection from the eye to the mammalian brain is organized into parallel routes. In the optic pathway retinal axons separate into several tracts that terminate in different subcortical areas, such as the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the lateral geniculate complex, the pretectum, the superior colliculus, and the accessory optic nuclei. In this way different aspects of the light signal are transfe...

PURPOSE Retinal ganglion cells are known to express ionotropic P2X(7) receptors for ATP. Stimulation of these receptors in other cells can elevate Ca(2+) and sometimes lead to cell death. This study asked whether P2X(7) receptor stimulation alters the Ca(2+) levels and viability of retinal ganglion cells. METHODS P2X(7) agonists were applied to retinal ganglion cells from neonatal rats loaded...

Single retinal ganglion cells obtained from goldfish retina are shown to support outgrowth of neurites. Processes up to 1 mm in length grow out over a two week period from cells identified as retinal ganglion cells on the basis of morphological criteria, in the absence of supporting elements. Prior crush of the optic nerve significantly enhances neuritic outgrowth. Fibers emerging from single c...

In retinal organ cultures, H2O2 can be used to simulate oxidative stress, which plays a role in the development of several diseases including glaucoma. We investigated whether processes underlying stress prevented cultures by an inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-inhibitor. To this end, porcine explants were cultivated for four and eight days. Oxidative was induced via 300 µM on day one thr...

PURPOSE To detect changes in local blood supply to central, middle, and peripheral retina following acute high intraocular pressure and to investigate the effects of changes in local retinal blood supply on the selective loss of retinal ganglion cells. METHODS The acute high intraocular pressure model of Sprague-Dawley rats was established by increasing the anterior chamber pressure to 110 mm...

BACKGROUND Antibodies against retinal and optic nerve antigens are detectable in glaucoma patients. Recent studies using a model of experimental autoimmune glaucoma demonstrated that immunization with certain ocular antigens causes an immun-mediated retinal ganglion cell loss in rats. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Rats immunized with a retinal ganglion cell layer homogenate (RGA) had a reduc...

Retinal progenitor proliferation and differentiation are tightly controlled by extrinsic cues and distinctive combinations of transcription factors leading to the generation of retinal cell type diversity. In this context, we have characterized Bcl-2-associated transcription factor (Bclaf1) during rodent retinogenesis. Bclaf1 expression is restricted to early-born cell types, such as ganglion, ...

The myelinated perikaryon was found in some of the retinal ganglion cells of parrakeet. The cells were covered with a compact myelin composed of 1-10 lamellae. The myelin of the ganglion cells seems to be formed by Müller cell.

The modulation sensitivity of visual neurons can be influenced by remote stimuli which, when presented alone, cause no change in the ongoing discharge rate of the neuron. We show here that the extraclassical surrounds that underlie these effects are present in magnocellular-pathway (MC) but not in parvocellular-pathway (PC) retinal ganglion cells of the macaque. The response of MC cells to drif...