title: Retinas from albino rats are more susceptible to ischaemic damage than age-matched pigmented animals.
abstract: Age- and sex-matched pigmented (Lister Hooded) and albino (Wistar) rats were used in this study. The retinas of the animals were subjected to pressure-induced ischaemia (35 min, 120 mmHg) and reperfusion (3 days) in precisely the same way. The b-wave of the electroretinogram (ERG) in the pigmented animals recovered to normal levels while those of the albino rats were reduced by more than 80%. Moreover, the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunoreactivity associated with a sub-set of amacrine cells was almost completely obliterated in the retinas from the albino rats but unaffected in the retinas of the pigmented rats. Also, in certain areas of the retina from albino rats there was a suggestion that the calretinin-immunoreactivity was affected. This was never seen in the retinas of the pigmented animals. The GABA-immunoreactivity in the retina of both albino and pigmented rats appeared to be unaffected by ischaemia/reperfusion. The data presented show that retinas from albino rats are more susceptible to ischaemia/reperfusion than retinas from pigmented animals. The results also show that reduction of the b-wave of the ERG and changes in the nature of the ChAT immunoreactivity represent sensitive markers to detect the effect of ischaemia/reperfusion to the retina.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, University of Oxford, Walton Street, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Safa
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Osborne
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000417:Albinism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D064032:Calbindin 2; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000032:analysis; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D007511:Ischemia / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012160:Retina / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000502:physiology*; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000032:analysis; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: C576512:Calb2 protein, rat; D064032:Calbindin 2; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase