Static, but not optokinetic visual stimuli induce Fos expression in the retina and brain of retinal degeneration mice.
The stimulated expression of the c-fos gene was used in this study to characterize the residual vision of retinal degeneration (rd) mice. Conventional immunohistochemistry was employed to detect Fos-positive nuclei in the rd mouse retina and brain after monocular application of static and dynamic photic stimuli. Diffuse light induced Fos-positive nuclei in the inner nuclear and ganglion cell layers of the stimulated retina and in the contralateral pretectal olivary nucleus. On the other hand, Fos-positive nuclei were rarely detected in the rd mouse retina and brain after stimulation with a slowly displaced random-dot pattern. These results suggest that the residual vision of the rd mouse involves mainly the circuits that are related to the processing of static photic stimuli.
Department of Histology and Embryology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1524, 05508-900, SP, São Paulo, Brazil.
Alice G
AG
Lima
Luiz R G
LR
Britto
Neide M
NM
Hossokawa
Dânia E
DE
Hamassaki-Britto
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016762:Genes, fos; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009847:Olivary Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*