Histomorphology and Histomorphometrics of the retina in Juvenile and Adult African Giant Rats (Cricetomys gambianus)

Abstract

Aging is accompanied with various forms of functional ultrastructural and morphological changes in the eye, including the retina, leading to vision deterioration. However, age related retinal degenerative changes requires further elucidation especially as all previous studies on age-related change of the retina were done in mutant mouse strain models of hereditary retinal degenerations. The potential of using African giant rats (AGRs) as models for ageing in the eye, especially retina, was explored in this study. A total of 14 AGRs divided into two age groups (juvenile and adult) were used to study the histomorphology and histomorphometrics of the retina as well as retinal astrocyte morphology and heterogeneity. Histological findings included retinal atrophy and hypoplasia, with cellular swellings of neuronal cell populations and astrocytes soma and ramifications in the retina of adult compared to juvenile AGR. We suggest that AGR be used as animal model for translational research into normal aging process of the retina, as well as to elucidate the process of age-related neuronal cells loss.