ABSTRACT
Ultrastructural synaptic changes of retinal origin in the pars dorsalis lateral geniculate nuclei (dLGN) after enucleation have been studied in this laboratory, showing a filamentous hypertrophy with maximal expression at 4-6 days post-lesion in monkeys (Pecci Saavedra et al., 1970, 1971). The aim of this work was to elucidate the nature of the newly formed filament in dLGN in post-enucleated rats. Male Wistar rats were fixed with 4 paraformaldehyde plus 0.25 glutaraldehyde in 0.1M phosphate buffer, through the abdominal aorta after 3, 5, and 7 days postenucleation. Sections obtained were incubated with antibodies to the phosphorylated portion of the 160 Kd neurofilaments (1:3000) and anti-GFAP (1:25000). There was an increase in 160 Kd neurofilament staining in axons and degenerating nerve endings in dLGN, as well as a typical astroglial immunostained reaction. Our results show that the newly formed neurofilaments after deafferentation are of the 160 Kd type, commonly present in normal axons.