Immunocytochemical characterization of cysts in the peripheral retina and pars plana of the adult primate.
OBJECTIVE
To better characterize the cellular constituents of cysts in the peripheral retina and pars plana of the adult monkey.


METHODS
Frozen sections of the peripheral retinal margin and pars plana from monkeys (Macaca nemestrina) between 1 and 15 years of age were stained with toluidine blue or immunolabeled with a variety of glia- and neuron-specific antibodies.


RESULTS
In animals 1 to 2 years of age, the nonpigmented inner layer of the pars plana is a pseudostratified columnar epithelium. In these young animals, the peripheral retina had distinct layers and did not contain cysts. In animals 6 years of age or older, there were numerous cysts in the pars plana and in the peripheral retina. In the peripheral retina, neurons were randomly distributed and did not have a laminar organization. Cells surrounding cysts were immunoreactive for different types of markers for retinal neurons. Some of the cells surrounding cysts in the pars plana were also unexpectedly immunoreactive for antigens normally expressed only in retinal neurons and glia.


CONCLUSIONS
Cysts form in the peripheral retina and pars plana in adult monkeys. The peripheral retinal cysts disrupt the normal lamination of the cells, but all types of retinal neurons are still present in the cysts. In an unexpected finding, cysts in the pars plana also contained cells immunoreactive for a few of the markers of retinal cells, suggesting that neurogenesis may occur in the pars plana of the adult primate.
Fischer
A J
AJ
Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Hendrickson
A
A
Reh
T A
TA
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002924:Ciliary Body / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D003560:Cysts / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008254:Macaca nemestrina; D012160:Retina / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014603:Uveal Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
C020932:11-cis-retinal-binding protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins