TRANSNEURONAL RETROGRADE DEGENERATION OF RETINAL GANGLION-CELLS FOLLOWING CEREBRAL HEMISPHERECTOMY IN CATS

We have assessed the extent of transneuronal retrograde degeneration o f retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) following the removal of a whole cereb ral hemisphere at postnatal age 16 and 25 days. In the P16 animal, the nasal retina contralateral to the lesion suffered a 41% cell loss, wh ereas cell loss in the temporal retina ipsilateral to the lesion was 3 3%. Cell loss was greater in nasal retina and mainly included medium s ized cells (200-600 mu m(2)). In the P25 animal overall there was no e vidence for ganglion cell loss. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.