title: Neither laminin nor prior optic nerve section are essential for the regeneration of adult mammalian retinal ganglion cell axons in vitro.
abstract: Retinal explants obtained from normal adult rats and from operated animals in which the optic nerve had been sectioned 10 days previously were cultured in either serum-containing or serum-free medium on poly-L-lysine and laminin substrata. Regenerating ganglion cell axons growing from these explants have been identified using monoclonal antibodies against Thy-1.1 cell surface glycoprotein and the 200-kDa subunit neurofilament protein. Irrespective of substratum or medium composition, axons regenerated from 28-49% of normal rat retinal explants. This percentage increased to 60-84% of explants from operated rats. There were no significant differences in percentages of explants from normal or operated rats showing neurite outgrowth when substrata of either poly-L-lysine or laminin were compared in serum-free medium. In serum-containing medium the results were less easily interpreted due to the presence of an outgrowth of non-neuronal (glia and mesenchymal) 'flat cells', which served as a preferred axonal substratum in many cases. Thus we show that adult rat retinal ganglion cell axons will regrow in vitro, and that a 'priming' optic nerve section will increase this response. In neither case is the response laminin-dependent.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007797:Laminin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D011107:Polylysine; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D007797:Laminin; D011107:Polylysine