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A quantitative analysis of the effects of excitatory neurotoxins on retinal ganglion cells in the chick

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

Ngoh Ngoh Tung ,
Ian G. Morgan  and
David Ehrlich
Ngoh Ngoh Tung
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy, Monash University, Clayton, Vic 3168, Australia
Ian G. Morgan
Affiliation:
Visual Sciences Group, Research School of Biological Sciences, and Centre for Visual Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, A.C.T. 26001, Australia
David Ehrlich
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy, Monash University, Clayton, Vic 3168, Australia
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Abstract

The present study examines the differential effects of three excitotoxins, kainic acid (KA), N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and α-amino-2,3-amino-2,3-dihydro-5- methyl-3-oxo-4- isoxazolepropanoic acid (AMPA) on neurons within the genglion cell layer (GCL) of the chick retina. Two-day-old chicks were given a single, 5 μl, intravitreal injection of KA, NMDA, or AMPA at a range of doses. Following treatment with 40 nmol KA, there was a 21% loss of neurons in the GCL. At 200 nmol KA, the loss increased to 46%. Exposure to KA eliminated mainly small neurons of soma area 5–15μm2, and medium-sized ganglion cells of soma area 15–25μm2. Large ganglion cells (>25μ,2) remained unaffected. The vast majority of small cells were probably displaced amarcrine cells. At a does of 3000 nmol NMDA, no further loss of cells was evident. Exposure to 200 nmol AMPA resulted in a 30% loss of large and some medium-sized ganglion cells. In a further series of experiments, exposure to excitotoxin was followed by a retinal scratch, which eliminated retinal ganglion cells within the axotomized region. The results indicate that only a small proportion of displaced amacrine cells are destroyed by NMDA and AMPA, whereas virtually all displaced amarine cells are sensitive to KA. The findings of this study indicate the existence of subclasses of ganglion cells with specificity towards different types of excitatory amino acids (EAA).

Keywords

Retinal ganglion cellsKainic acidN-Methyl-D-aspartateα-amino-23-dihydro-5-methyl-3-oxo-4-isoxazolepropanoic acidExcitotoxicity
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 4 , Issue 3 , March 1990 , pp. 217 - 223
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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