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Distribution and size of ganglion cells in the retinae of large Amazon rodents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

L. C. L. Silveira ,
C. W. Picanço-Diniz  and
E. Oswaldo-Cruz
L. C. L. Silveira
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
C. W. Picanço-Diniz
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
E. Oswaldo-Cruz
Affiliation:
Institute of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Abstract

The topographical distribution of density and soma size of the retinal ganglion cells were studied in three species of hystricomorph rodents. Flat-mounted retinae were stained by the Nissl method and the ganglion cells counted on a matrix covering the whole retinae. Soma size was determined for samples at different retinal regions. The agouti, a diurnal rodent, shows a well-developed visual streak, reaching a peak density of 6250 ganglion cells/mm2. The total number of ganglion cells ranged from 477, 427–548, 205 in eight retinae. The ganglion-cell-size histogram of the visual streak region exhibits a marked shift towards smaller values when compared to retinal periphery. Upper and lower regions differ in both cell density and cell size. The crepuscular capybara shows a less-developed visual streak with a peak ganglion cell density of 2250/mm2. The shift towards small-sized cells in the visual streak is less marked. Total ganglion cell population is 368,840. In the nocturnal paca, the upper half of the fundus oculi includes a tapetum lucidum. The retina of this species shows the least-developed visual streak of this group, with the lowest peak ganglion cell density reaching 925/mm2. The total ganglion cell number (230,804) is also smaller than in the two other species. Soma-size spectra of this species are characterized by the presence, in the lower hemi-retina, of very large perikarya comparable in size to the cat's alpha ganglion cells.

Keywords

Ganglion cell topographyVisual streakHystricomorph rodents
Type
Research Article
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 2 , Issue 3 , March 1989 , pp. 221 - 235
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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