title: Electrophysiologic characteristics of human and rat retinas in vitro.
abstract: To promote studies on the human retina, we investigated the survival of function in postmortem specimens. Visual pigment has been regenerated in normal human retinas, 5 to 58 hours postmortem, by exposure to retinal isomers in the dark. Levels from 0.1 to 0.41 nmol/mg protein were reached. Photoresponses were obtained in 9 of 13 retinas: P III maximum amplitudes ranged from 20-398 microV and thresholds, taking the criterion amplitude as 3 microV, ranged from 8.8-1340 quanta/micros2. In three cases, the b-wave was also seen. The P III amplitude vs. log intensity curves gave values of n between 0.6 and 1.0, and sigma (the stimulus intensity for a half maximal response) between 132-3700 quanta/microns2. Recovery of sensitivity did not always correspond to that of maximum response.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ophthalmology, University of London, UK.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Voaden
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kemp
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D003623:Dark Adaptation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008875:Middle Aged; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012172:Retinaldehyde / Q000494:pharmacology; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000378:metabolism; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D013997:Time Factors; D014022:Tissue Survival
chemical_list: D012243:Rhodopsin; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D012172:Retinaldehyde