Retinal pigment epithelium of new-born rats is capable of phagocytosis of rod outer segments in vitro.
The ability of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells of rats at 0, 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12 and 15 days after birth towards phagocytosis of rod outer segments (ROS) has been studied in short-term explant culture of the scleral part of the eye. The neural retina was removed before cultivation. The suspension of ROS isolated from the retina of adult rats was layered on top of RPE cells. The phagocytic activity was evaluated by visualization of phagosomes in the cytoplasm of RPE cells after 4-5 hr incubation, using electron microscopy. It has been shown that RPE cells at all the stages studied, including new-born rats, are capable of ROS phagocytosis.
Ershov
A V
AV
Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow.
Stroeva
O G
OG
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D046508:Culture Techniques; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010587:Phagocytosis; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D012374:Rod Cell Outer Segment