Distribution of D-aspartate-immunopositive cells in the ganglion cell layer of adult rat retina.
OBJECTIVE
D-aspartate is an important candidate for retinal neurotransmitter or neuromodulator. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cells type and distribution of the D-aspartate-immunopositive cells in the ganglion cell layer.


METHODS
Wister rats were fixed by perfusion with 5% glutaraldehyde. Paraffin sections of the retina were immunohistochemically double-labeled using D-aspartate and glutamate or γ-aminobutyric acid antibodies. After labeling the whole-mount retina by D-aspartate, the cell densities of both the perivascular and nonperivascular areas in the ganglion cell layer were measured for the central, midperipheral, and peripheral zones, respectively.


RESULTS
Within the paraffin section, some of the glutamate-immunoreactive cells in the ganglion cell layer were D-aspartate immunoreactive. These D-aspartate-positive cells in the ganglion cell layer were more frequently observed along the retinal vessels in the whole-mount retina. The D-aspartate-positive cell densities in the perivascular area were significantly higher than those in the nonperivascular area for the central, midperipheral, and peripheral zones (p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
In the ganglion cell layer, the D-aspartate-immunopositive cells proved to be the ganglion cells, with their distribution found to be denser along the large retinal vessels such as the arterioles or venules.
Department of Ophthalmology, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan. sasoh@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp
Mikio
M
Sasoh
Ning
N
Ma
Hisashi
H
Matsubara
Koich
K
Matsunaga
Yukitaka
Y
Uji
D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D026603:D-Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*
D026603:D-Aspartic Acid