Alterations in glial cell morphology and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression in urethane-induced retinopathy.

Urethane injection in newborn rats causes a photoreceptor degeneration without initial damage to the retinal pigment epithelium, choriocapillaris, or inner retina. In later stages, retinal vessels become incorporated into the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and change from a continuous endothelial cell phenotype to a fenestrated phenotype. At the light-microscopic level, there do not appear to be morphologic changes in the inner retina up to 24 weeks of age. Ultrastructurally, however, there are alterations in Müller cell cytotopographic organization. In the normal retina, intermediate filaments are primarily found from the ganglion cell layer to the inner nuclear layer. These filaments do not show glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity (GFAP-IR) in the normal animal. In the urethane-treated animals, the compartmental organization of the Müller cell organelles is moved vitread. Intermediate filaments are found in the end-foot region, and in the inner plexiform layer, bundles of intermediate filaments become more prominent. All of these filaments are GFAP-IR positive. The new expression of GFAP in the Müller cell may be linked to the observed rearrangement of the cytoskeletal elements. In urethane-induced retinopathy, GFAP-IR is found associated with vessels in all layers of the remaining retina. However, it is not seen accompanying vessels into the RPE. Ultrastructurally, there is no glial investment of the RPE-associated vessels. This absence of glial investment may permit the change in phenotype observed in these vessels.

Interglial cell gap junctions increase in urethane-induced photoreceptor degeneration in rats.

Gap junctions are found between astrocytes in the inner retina of normal rats, but they are rare between Müller cells or between astrocytes and Müller cells in the inner retina. After photoreceptor degeneration induced by urethane treatment of newborn animals, morphologic alterations of glial cells occur in the inner retina. The Müller cells withdraw from the inner limiting membrane, and the astrocytes hypertrophy and occupy the vitread surface of the inner limiting membrane. The frequency and size of the gap junctions between astrocytes increases with time in rats with urethane-induced photoreceptor degeneration, to a greater extent than expected from elaboration of additional astrocyte plasma membrane. The gap junction-profile length per glial cell membrane-contact length is 2.8 +/- 1.1 microns/1000 microns of membrane in 8-week-old normal animals; it increases to 18.9 +/- 9.4 microns/1000 microns of membrane at 56 weeks of age in urethane-treated animals. The average size of the gap junction-profile length doubles during this same period. To the authors' knowledge this is the first study demonstrating pathologic changes in gap junctions in central nervous system tissue. The authors speculate that this up-regulation of gap junctions occurs in response to an altered extracellular ionic composition in an attempt to increase the lateral spatial buffering of K+ by these cells. The relative location of glial cells in retina can determine, in part, the vulnerability of the retina to edema.

Primate rod and cone photoreceptors may differ in glucose accessibility.

PURPOSE: Glucose is crucial for the function of retinal photoreceptors, other retinal neurons, and glial cells. Exogenous glucose can be extracted from the retinal and choroidal circulation, and endogenous glucose may be generated from breakdown of intracellular glycogen stores. Because glucose deprivation is a critical component of retinal ischemia, the authors sought to determine the sites of glucose entry into and generation within the retina. METHODS: The localization of the glucose transporter, GluT-1, and the brain and muscle isozymes of glycogen phosphorylase, GlyP, was studied by immunohistochemistry of adult human and monkey retinas. RESULTS: Brain glycogen phosphorylase (B-GlyP) immunoreactivity was found in cone, but not rod, photoreceptors. There was immunostaining of foveal and peripheral cones throughout the cytoplasm from the outer segment to the synaptic pedicle. Short wavelength ("blue") cones were positive for B-GlyP. Diffuse staining of the inner and outer plexiform and the nerve fiber layers did not resemble the distinct morphology of Müller cells. Immunoreactivity to muscle GlyP (M-GlyP) was confined to selected synaptic layers of the inner plexiform layer in monkey retina. Staining with antibody to GluT-1 demonstrated diffuse reactivity throughout the retina, including the blood-retinal barrier cells, retinal pigment epithelium, and vascular endothelium. Ultrastructural immunohistochemistry showed staining of rod and cone inner and outer segments. CONCLUSIONS: These immunohistochemical studies indicate that rod and cone photoreceptors have the biochemical capability to transport exogenous glucose from the circulation. Only cones appear capable of using endogenous glycogen stores. These findings imply that cones could be more resistant to acute reductions in circulating glucose during hypoglycemia. However, during hypoxic insult, glycogenolysis and anaerobic glycolysis could result in increased production of intracellular lactic acid, potentially predisposing the cone to acidotic damage.

Retinal vessel abnormalities of phototoxic retinopathy in rats.

Phototoxic retinopathy in rats is characterized by a progressive loss of the outer retinal layers. During the neural degenerative phases, a sequence of vascular change occurs. Whole mounts of ink-injected retinal vessels and flat mounts of trypsin-digested retinal vessels show areas of capillary nonperfusion and acellularity and enlargement of retinal capillaries in the deep bed. When the photoreceptor and outer nuclear layers have disappeared, portions of the remaining deep capillary bed become surrounded by cells of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Thin sections show fenestrae in some vessel walls within the retinal pigment epithelial layer. Since serial sections show continuity between those fenestrated vessels and the deep retinal vessels and no evidence of vessels breeching Bruch's membrane, this morphologic phenomenon is considered to be an in situ alteration of retinal vessels. We conclude that a factor(s) within the retinal pigment epithelial layer determines the morphology of vessels within that environment.

Effect of monosodium glutamate on retinal vessel development and permeability in rats.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) administered to neonatal rats on postnatal days 1 to 10 caused a generalized degeneration of the inner retinal layers. MSG administered only on postnatal days 8, 9, 10, and/or 11 caused a retinopathy limited to more peripheral retinal areas corresponding to currently existing regions of immature retinal vessels. Ink-injected retinal vessel studies showed a delay in development of the retinal vessel network but no alterations in vessel patency. Fluorescence microscopic examination of freeze-dried tissues revealed to abnormalities of the blood-retinal barriers to sodium fluorescein. We conclude, as demonstrated by these methods, that MSG retards development of the retinal vessels but does not affect development of the blood-retinal barriers. The retinotoxic effect of MSG apparently results from a mechanism(s) other than a breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier.

Ultrastructure of blood-retinal barrier permeability in rat phototoxic retinopathy.

It has been shown previously that the blood-retinal barrier (BRB) of rats with phototoxic retinopathy is permeable to sodium fluorescein and to fluoresceinated dextrans as large as 32A ESR (Einstein-Stokes radius). The leakage presumably occurs from retinal capillaries that have invaded the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and become fenestrated. In this report, the ultrastructural tracers horseradish peroxidase and catalase were used to further localize the leakage site, and to evaluate the size limit of molecules penetrating the phototoxic BRB. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP: 30A ESR) freely penetrates the BRB of phototoxic rats, since it is present in the retinal extracellular space 10 min after intravenous injection. HRP penetrates the fenestrae of capillaries which invade the RPE from the retina. It then diffuses along the pericapillary space of the intraepithelial capillaries, which is confluent with that of their parent retinal capillaries, and into the retinal extracellular space. HRP thus circumvents the tight junctions between RPE cells and between capillary endothelial cells, which appear intact in thin sections. Catalase (52A ESR) does not freely penetrate the BRB of phototoxic rats. As long as 40 min after intravenous injection, catalase is still confined to the lumen of fenestrated capillaries in the RPE, retinal capillaries, and the choriocapillaris. Although present in intraendothelial vesicles, no evidence of deposition in the pericapillary space is observed. It is concluded fenestrated capillaries in the RPE are a major site where blood-borne tracers penetrate the BRB in phototoxic retinopathy.

Urethane-induced rat retinopathy. Plasticity of the blood-retinal barrier in disease.

Sodium fluorescein and fluoresceinated dextrans penetrate the blood-retinal barrier (BRB) of rats with urethane-induced retinopathy. We have extended these observations, using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as an ultrastructural probe of the BRB. Intravenous HRP penetrated the BRB 7 weeks after urethane treatment began. This occurred where retinal capillaries invaded the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) after photoreceptor degeneration. The penetration intensified with duration of the retinopathy, but remained localized near intraepithelial capillaries. The mechanisms by which HRP penetrated the BRB changed as the retinopathy progressed. In the earliest stages (7-10 weeks of age) vesicular transport across endothelia and/or leakage from the choriocapillaris into the pericapillary space of intraepithelial capillaries and then along this space into the retina. At later stages, two more mechanisms were at work: (1) fenestrae developed in the intraepithelial capillaries, and (2) the RPE attenuated, losing its barrier function. Except where this occurred, intercellular RPE junctional complexes remained intact and retarded HRP. We suggest that the rat urethane retinopathy models the plasticity of BRB components--RPE and endothelia--over the course of retinal disease.

An experimental model of ectropion uveae and iris neovascularization in the cat.

Neovascularization of the iris (NVI) is one of the most frequently studied intraocular vascular proliferations in animal models. Ectropion uveae has not been a consistent finding in these studies. In this study, a surgical model of ectropion uveae and iris neovascularization was developed that involved lensectomy, vitrectomy, bipolar cautery and transection of all three principal branch veins in the cat eye. Twelve of 14 eyes that received this procedure developed postoperative retinal detachments with a clinical picture of hemorrhagic retinopathy. These eyes progressed to a clinical picture of NVI within 1-7 wk. Eight eyes developed ectropion uveae for as much as 300 degrees. At the light microscopic level, a fibrovascular membrane was apparent on the anterior iris stroma in 9 of 14 eyes and further involved the angle in six eyes.

Refractive state, ocular anatomy, and accommodative range of the sea otter (Enhydra lutris).

Sea otters are carnivorous, amphibious mammals that are active both above and under water. Accordingly, it might be expected that their eyes are adapted for both aerial and aqueous vision. We examined the anatomy and physiological optics of the sea otter eye with a view towards describing and explaining its amphibious visual characteristics. We employed photokeratoscopy to measure the refractive power of the sea otter cornea, which we found to be 59 D. Using video dynamic photorefraction, we found that sea otters can focus targets clearly both in air and water, relying on accommodation to compensate for the refractive loss of their corneas upon immersion in water. Our anatomical investigations revealed that the anterior epithelium of the cornea is extensively developed, as is the iris musculature, meridional ciliary muscle, and the corneoscleral venous plexus. The first feature is most likely an adaptation to the salinity of the marine environment. We believe the latter features are part of a novel, well-developed lenticular accommodative mechanism.

Biological microanalysis by secondary ion mass spectrometry: status and prospects.

Secondary ion mass spectrometric (SIMS) analysis of biological problems is an evolving technique. Lateral resolution of currently available commercial instrumentation estimated from actual samples is 0.5 micron, and subcellular organelles can be distinguished. The interrelationship of lateral resolution, elemental concentration and ionizability are, however, important in controlling the actual lateral resolution achievable. Although depth resolutions of 5 nm have been measured in other systems, no test of depth resolution in biological systems has been done, and this parameter is also concentration and ionization dependent. The development of liquid metal ion sources in combination with scanning ion microprobes has a potential lateral resolution of as little as 20 nm, but initial studies with this instrumentation show that tissue preservation at the submicron level becomes an important issue. The current development of a cold-transfer stage for SIMS instruments may obviate the problem of submicron localization of diffusible elements, and initial studies indicate that much more needs to be understood about the ionization process in hydrated samples. Quantitation of diffusible elements using external standards has been achieved over a 30 micron diameter analyzed area. Strategies for analysis of areas limited to 1 micron or less has been suggested using image processing techniques, which take advantage of the lateral resolution inherent in the ion optical system. Matrix effects in biological tissues have been reported and constitute a serious problem for analysis of biologicals which must be addressed for each question. However, development of laser ionization of sputtered particles may both increase the sensitivity of analysis and decrease the importance of ionizability of elements. Chemical analysis of organic molecules is another use of SIMS, but, at present, at the cost of losing localized information. SIMS analysis of biological samples is being systematically evaluated and requires increased accessibility of this instrumentation to the end-user for full development of its role in physiological problems.

Comparison of lectin reactivity in the vessel beds of the rat eye.

The capillary beds of the eye are lined by two types of endothelia, fenestrated in the choriocapillaris and ciliary body, and continuous in the retina and iris. In this study, we wished to find a marker for each of these types of vessel beds using lectin histochemistry. Sections of glutaraldehyde fixed rat eyes embedded in epoxy resin were extracted with sodium ethoxide and rehydrated. Binding of 15 different lectins was visualized using the avidin-biotin peroxidase technique. We found WGA, WGA-s, LFA and PHA-E to strongly bind retinal vessels. In addition to the above lectins, iris vessels bound GSL-I. Choriocapillaris reacted variably only with WGA and not at all with other lectins tested. Vessels of ciliary body processes did not react with any lectin studied. The less fenestrated vessels of the base of the ciliary process bound lectins similar to the retina. We speculate that the differential lectin staining of the various vessel beds of the eye may reflect the degree of fenestration of the endothelium. This reactivity may be influenced by variations in the surrounding milieu including cells and extracellular matrix.

Neovascularization in urethane rat retinopathy demonstrated by thymidine labelling.

Rat urethane retinopathy produces sequential and progressive loss of the photoreceptor cells, proceeding from the posterior to the peripheral retina. The inner retina, the retinal pigment epithelium and the choriocapillaris are spared. After loss of the photoreceptor cells, a vasculopathy develops which includes progressive retinal capillary loss and formation of coil-like tufts of retinal vessels which are embedded in the retinal pigment epithelium. Some of the retinal vessels within the retinal pigment epithelium have changed their phenotype from continuous to fenestrated endothelial cells. To elucidate whether DNA synthesis was necessary for formation of the coil-like vessel tuft formation, an autoradiographic study was performed. At 12, 14, 16 and 20 weeks of age, times during which the vasculopathy is known to be forming, urethane and control rats were injected with 3 successive doses of methyl-3H-thymidine. Autoradiography of trypsin-digested retinal vessel preparations was compared with histological sections of the paired eye. The frequency of tritium labelled endothelial cells was much higher in the urethane rats than control animals, and were predominantly in the posterior pole, rather than the periphery. Labelled endothelial cells tended to be associated with, or near, the coil-like vessel tufts. Capillary dropout was observed in urethane, but not control animals. Frequently, adjacent endothelial cells were labelled, suggestive of mitosis. The occurrence of thymidine uptake and a change in phenotype of the endothelial cells leads us to suggest that new cell synthesis, or neovascularization, has occurred in these vessels. Since the retina is less than half the normal thickness and the choriocapillaris is intact, it appears unlikely that ischemia is responsible for inducing these pathological responses. We suggest that the retinal pigment epithelial cell is responsible for the increase in DNA synthesis and change in phenotype of the retinal endothelial cell.

The retinal pigment epithelium induces fenestration of endothelial cells in vivo.

Rodent photoreceptor dystrophies are characterized by late stage ingrowth of retinal blood vessels into the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) where they proliferate. Some of these vessels develop the fenestrated phenotype of the choriocapillaris (CC). To determine if development of fenestrae in these endothelial cells is a function of the duration of time the endothelial cell had been encapsulated by the RPE, we did an ultrastructural morphometric study of these vessels in urethane induced photoreceptor degeneration in Long-Evans rats. Retinas of animals aged 20, 24, 40 and 56 weeks were studied. The fraction of vessel profiles within the RPE that had fenestrated endothelial cells increased from 10% to 90% between 20 to 56 weeks. The average number of fenestrae per vessel increased approximately 25 fold between 20 and 24 weeks but stabilized after that, despite a decrease in the number of vessels present at 56 weeks. A large number of degenerated retinal vessel profiles were seen in the RPE at 40 weeks. These facts support the idea that the presence of the RPE induces endothelial cell fenestrae, and also show that a complex process of remodelling including proliferation and degeneration is occurring in these vessels. Analogies between the basic cell biology of neovascularization occurring in these rodent models and that of proliferative diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration are discussed.

Selective neovascularization of the retinal pigment epithelium in rat photoreceptor degeneration in vivo.

Photoreceptor cell degeneration in rodents from a variety of causes results in neovascularization of the retinal pigment epithelium as a late stage phenomenon. Even though the vessels within the pigment epithelium arise from the retinal circulation, they can manifest the choroidal endothelial cell phenotype of fenestrated endothelial cells. In order to study the detailed cellular events which result in incorporation of retinal vessels within the retinal pigment epithelium, a morphological and morphometric analysis of the RPE and vasculature was performed in rats. Urethane, given subcutaneously to newborn rats, results in a photoreceptor degeneration but does not affect the RPE, choroid or inner retinal layers. Retinas were studied from rats of 8 to 24 weeks of age, the time period when vascularization of the RPE occurs. Loss of retinal vessels is first seen at 12 weeks, primarily in substantial dropout of vessel profiles in the outer plexiform layer (OPL) vessel bed. There is a gradient of loss from the OPL bed to the nerve fiber layer (NFL) bed and from the central to peripheral region. Total vessel density of the experimental retinas is greater than controls at 8 and 12 weeks. This occurs because there is marked loss of retinal thickness, due to photoreceptor degeneration, without a comparable loss of vessel profiles. The total retinal vessel density decreases from 8 to 20 weeks, and appears to stabilize at 20 and 24 weeks. Analysis of the separate vessel beds shows that this apparent stabilization is due to continued loss of vessels within the sensory retina, and increased presence of vascular profiles within the RPE. Total absence of the photoreceptor cell is necessary for incorporation of vessels within the RPE. Since new vessel profiles develop in the RPE but not the adjacent sensory retina, we speculate that the RPE may stimulate neovascularization of the RPE. A model of the cellular events leading to RPE neovascularization is proposed.

Müller cell GFAP expression exhibits gradient from focus of photoreceptor light damage.

High intensity (ca. 150 foot-candles), cumulative fluorescent light exposure regimes of 40 or 60 minutes to pigmented Long Evans rats were sufficient to elicit glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity (GFAP-IR) in Müller cells, when the animals are sacrificed 7 days post-exposure. Exposure to only 20 minutes of cumulative light or sacrifice immediately after exposure was not sufficient to initiate GFAP-IR in Müller cells. A gradient of GFAP-IR was observed extending from an approximately circular focus superior to the optic disc to the peripheral retina, whether or not there was morphological damage to the photoreceptors observable at the light microscopic level. Photoreceptor lesions produced by laser photocoagulation elicited the same gradient of GFAP-IR, and showed that GFAP-IR was not a reflection of a central to peripheral gradient of light received by the retina. Excessive light exposure initiated a signal which induced GFAP expression in Müller cells. This signal appeared to require a dark period and may be a diffusible factor that moves through extracellular pathways.

Abnormal vessel patterns in phototoxic rat retinopathy studied by vascular replicas.

Permeability abnormalities of vessels in rat phototoxic retinopathy have been described for sodium fluorescein and the fluoresceinated dextrans. Since fenestrated vessels within the pigment epithelium (RPE-vessels) had connections to retinal capillaries but not to choroidal vessels, it was presumed that the continuous retinal vessels became fenestrated when located in the abnormal environment of the pigment epithelial cell. It was necessary to rule out a choroidal origin of these unusual RPE-vessels, since they may be a model for other vasculopathies. Vascular cast replicas of whole retinal and choroidal vessel beds from rats with advanced phototoxic retinopathy were studied by scanning electron microscopy. No connection between the retinal and choroidal vasculature was found. Retinal vessels entering the pigment epithelium formed medusa-like coils in local areas. Marked capillary dropout and vessel tortuosity were characteristic. The choroidal capillary bed was normal. This model is appropriate for study of the plasticity of retinal capillaries as seen in diabetic retinopathy and senile macular degeneration.

Melanosome abnormalities of ocular pigmented epithelial cells in beagle dogs with hereditary tapetal degeneration.

Eyes of laboratory beagle dogs with an inherited tapetal degeneration were abnormally lightly pigmented. The development of pigmentation was followed morphologically from 7 days postnatal to 9 years of age. At all postnatal ages the iris pigmented epithelia contained no normal melanosomes, only organelles resembling secondary lysosomes or residual bodies. The ciliary body pigmented epithelium contained a variety of melanosome organelles at the earliest stages examined, but in fewer numbers than in normal animals. These included premelanosomes, partially melanized and some fully melanized pigment granules. However, the melanin deposition was usually patchy and irregular. With time, many of these granules appeared to condense into residual bodies. The retinal pigmented epithelium in peripheral and inferior posterior regions of affected animals never contained normal appearing melanin granules at any stage of postnatal development. The iris and choroidal stroma had melanosomes of normal size and shape, but many fewer than in normal animals. These results imply that there is local cellular control over melanosome production and regression, since the melanosome abnormalities do not follow the anterior to posterior development of pigment in ocular epithelia. It is proposed that a defect in synthesis of the matrix component of melanosomes could result in absent or abnormal deposition of melanin and initiate a process of autophagy of these organelles.

Development of hereditary tapetal degeneration in the beagle dog.

Laboratory beagle dogs with an apparent absence of a tapetum lucidum were identified by ophthalmoscopic examination. Breeding experiments demonstrated a probable autosomal recessive mutation. Studies of the development of the tapetal abnormality showed that up to postnatal day 21 the tapetum was normal by light and ultrastructural morphology. Subsequent to that time the tapetal rodlets failed to accumulate electron-dense material, did not accumulate zinc, and degenerated primarily into spherical inclusion bodies of varying electron density. In the early phases of the degeneration the rough endoplasmic reticulum formed large whorls of membrane denuded of ribosomes. With time, the inclusions became electron lucent, and the entire tapetal cell degenerated, ending with almost total loss of the tapetum lucidum by approximately one to two years of age. The structure of the retina was normal. Retinal function measured by electroretinography was normal except for a slight elevation of dark adapted white light thresholds. It is speculated that the hereditary defect may be defective synthesis of the tapetal rodlet matrix or of the zinc-complexing substance of the tapetum.

Contrasting speech patterns in apraxia of speech and phonemic paraphasia.

This study was designed to determine if perceptual phonological analysis would reveal distinctions between patients with apraxia of speech and patients with phonemic paraphasic speech. Test findings from 10 Broca's aphasics with apraxia of speech were compared to findings from 10 paraphasic speakers (5 conduction and 5 Wernicke's aphasics). Several marked differences were revealed. Predominant locus of errors and relative difficulty of different classes of phonemic segments were significant discriminators. There was a nonsignificant trend for substituted phonemes to be further from target phonetically in the paraphasic patients. In addition, the two groups showed certain consistent differences in the types of errors they produced. Apraxic patients produced many errors of transitionalization, while sequencing errors were more typical of the patients with phonemic paraphasia. The findings are interpreted in relation to a neuropsychological model of speech. It is suggested that phonemic paraphasia represents a breakdown mainly in the retrieval of phonological word patterns, while apraxia of speech is characterized predominantly by a disturbance in encoding phonological patterns into appropriate speech movements.