Horizontal cells of the rat retina show choline acetyltransferase- and vesicular acetylcholine transporter-like immunoreactivities during early postnatal developmental stages.

ABSTRACT

We examined cholinergic neurons in the developing rat retina; an antiserum against choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and an antiserum against vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) were used. From postnatal day 4 (P4) to P10, ChAT- and VAChT-like immunoreactivities were seen in cells which were located in the outer part of the inner nuclear layer. These cells had relatively large cell bodies and extended several transversely oriented processes. Double fluorescence immunohistochemistry using an antiserum against calbindin D-28K, a specific marker for the horizontal cells, revealed that all of ChAT- or VAChT-labeled cells showed calbindin D-28K-like immunoreactivity. These cells were no longer immunostained after P11. Thus, acetylcholine was considered to be transiently synthesized in the horizontal cells during early postnatal developmental stages in the rat retina.