RETROGRADE DOUBLE-LABELING STUDY OF RETINAL GANGLION-CELLS FROM THE IPSILATERAL VLGN AND SC IN THE ALBINO-RAT

Retinal ganglion cells with branches to the ipsilateral ventral latera l geniculate nucleus (vLGN) and superior colliculus (SC) were studied by retrograde fluorescent double-labeling. Double-labeled cells were f ound in the ventral temporal crescent of the retina, with a few ipsila terally projecting single-labeled cells scattered in this area. Single -labeled vLGN-projecting cells were found predominantly in the ventral -temporal crescent and to a lesser extent in the temporal and dorsotem poral octant. SC-projecting cells were present predominantly in the ve ntral-temporal crescent and to a lesser extent in the ventral and vent ronasal octant. Our best animal model had 2200 ipsilaterally labeled c ells. There were 451 (20.5%) double-labeled vLGN and SC-projecting cel ls, 561 (25.5%) single-labeled vLGN-projecting cells, and 1186 (53.9%) single-labeled SC-projecting cells. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.