Iron in hereditary retinal degeneration: PIXE microanalysis - Preliminary results

Several types of hereditary retinal degeneration with progressive alteratio n of photoreceptors exist in men and animals. Recent immunohistochemical re sults have shown strong degradation of transferrin, the protein responsible for iron transport, in retinas of rats with hereditary retinal degeneratio n. Freeze-dried thin sections of rat retinas from different stages of the d isease, and respective coeval control sections, have been analyzed using nu clear microprobe. In this first part of the study, the rat retinas at post- natal stages of 35 and 45 days have been analyzed. The sample preparation a nd the post-irradiation staining to determine precisely the retinal layers involved are described. Preliminary results of element distributions (K, Ca , Fe) in the rat retina layers are discussed. A very high content of calciu m in the choriocapillaris of dystrophic rat retinas was observed. Prelimina ry results on iron distribution in the rat retina layers are presented. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.