IOVS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

(Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 1974;13:87-94.)
© 1974 by The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by HERRON, W. L.
Right arrow Articles by RUBIN, M. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by HERRON, W. L., Jr.
Right arrow Articles by RUBIN, M. L.

Retinal Dystrophy in the Pigmented Rat

WARREN L. HERRON Jr. 1, BYRON W. RIEGEL 1, ELAINE BRENNAN 1, and MELVIN L. RUBIN 1

1 Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida, Gainesville

The genetic pattern for obtaining a darkly pigmented Royal College of Surgeons' (RCS) rat is described. The rat dystrophy initially shows a build-up of rod outer segment material because the pigment epithelium does not phagocytize it. The progressive ophthalmoscopic appearance of the fundus of the pigmented dystrophic eye is described. The first abnormal finding is a lightening of the retinal appearance. Thereafter, the choroid and pigment epithelium become obscured. Finally, as the accumulated old rod outer segment debris is removed, the retina thins and pigment clumping is observed. In some pigmented dystrophic rats, a zone of thinned retina with pigmentary changes can be seen to abruptly thicken to the white appearance which hides deep retinal and choroidal detail. Histologic evaluation of this zone shows that the difference is in the amount of remaining old rod outer segment debris. Autoradiography confirmed that the pink-eyed rat and the pigmented dystrophic rat both exhibit an inability of the pigment epithelium to remove their old rod outer segment material. Similarities between human retinitis pigmentosa and the dystrophic rat are noted.

Key Words: retinal degeneration • retinal dystrophy • retinal pigment epithelium • phagocytosis • rats • Royal College of Surgeons' rat • retinal rod outer segment • ophthalmoscopy • retinitis pigmentosa • autoradiography.

Submitted on March 1, 1973




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 IOVSHome page
S. Wang, M. P. Villegas–Pérez, M. Vidal–Sanz, and R. D. Lund
Progressive Optic Axon Dystrophy and Vascular Changes in rd Mice
Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., February 1, 2000; 41(2): 537 - 545.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1974 by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology