Abstract
Vessels in the mammalian retina are surrounded by astrocytes and Müller cells forming the glial limitans. The spatial correlation between astrocytes and blood vessel in the inner retina has been largely recognized and the functional implication of astrocytes in vessel permeability has been suggested.
In the senile retinas examined by electron microscopy, arteries and veins exhibited loss of smooth muscle cells, while the endothelium was still intact. By confocal laser scan fluorescence microscopy, the corresponding deficiencies in smooth muscle α-actin staining were spotty or extended over longer segments of the vascular wall. Vessel damage was associated with an atrophy of the glia limitans, visualized by confocal microscopy as weak staining for GFAP and, by electron microscopy, as exfoliation and degeneration of the glial sheath. Chronic hypoxia might represent one possible aggravating factor in the development of the disease.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Schnitzer, J., 1988, Astrocytes in mammalian retina, in: Progress in Retinal Research, Volume 7 (N.N. Osborne, and G.J. Chader, eds.), pp. 209–231, Pergamon Press, Oxford.
Holländer, H., Makarov, F., Dreher, Z., van Driel, D., Chan-Ling, T., and Stone J., 1991, Structure of the macroglia of the retina: Sharing and division of labour between astrocytes and Müller cells, J. Comp. Neurol. 313: 587–603.
Rungger-Brändle, E., Messerli, J.M., Niemeyer, G., and Eppenberger, H.M., 1993, Confocal microscopy and computer-assisted image reconstruction of astrocytes in the mammalian retina. Eur. J. Neurosci. 5: 1093–1106.
Ling, T. and Stone, J., 1988, The development of astrocytes in the cat retina: Evidence of migration from the optic nerve. Dev. Brain Res. 44: 73–85.
Watanabe, T. and Raff, M.C., 1988, Retinal astrocytes are immigrants from the optic nerve. Nature 332: 834–837.
Ling, T., Mitrofanis, J., and Stone, J., 1989, Origin of retinal astrocytes in the rat: Evidence of migration from the optic nerve. J. Comp. Neurol. 286: 345–352.
Chan-Ling, T. and Stone, J., 1991, Factors determining the migration of astrocytes into the developing retina: Migration does not depend on intact axons and patent vessels. J. Comp. Neurol. 303: 375–386.
Tao-Chen, J.-H., Nagy, Z., and Brightman, M.W., 1987, Tight junctions of brain endothelium in vitro are enhanced by astroglia. J. Neurosci. 7: 3293–3299.
Janzer, R.C. and Raff, M. C., 1987, Astrocytes induce blood-brain barrier properties in endothelial cells. Nature 325: 253–257.
Chan-Ling, T. and Stone, J., 1992, Degeneration of astrocytes in feline retinopathy of prematurity causes failure of the blood-retinal barrier. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 33: 2148–2159.
Rungger-Brändle, E., Englert, U., and Leuenberger, P.M., 1987, Exocytic clearing of degraded membrane material from pigment epithelial cells in frog retina. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 28: 2026–2037.
Rungger-Brändle, E., Dosso, A.A., and Leuenberger, RM., 1997, Smooth muscle lesions in large-caliber arteries and veins of the human diabetic retina. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. (abstract ARVO, in press).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Rungger-Brändle, E., Leuenberger, P.M. (1997). Senile Retinal Deficiencies in Astrocytes and Blood Vessels. In: LaVail, M.M., Hollyfield, J.G., Anderson, R.E. (eds) Degenerative Retinal Diseases. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5933-7_44
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5933-7_44
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7718-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-5933-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive