Dendrites of rod bipolar cells sprout in normal aging retina

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Aug 8;103(32):12156-60. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0605211103. Epub 2006 Jul 31.

Abstract

The aging nervous system is known to manifest a variety of degenerative and regressive events. Here we report the unexpected growth of dendrites in the retinas of normal old mice. The dendrites of many rod bipolar cells in aging mice were observed to extend well beyond their normal strata within the outer plexiform layer to innervate the outer nuclear layer where they appeared to form contacts with the spherules of rod photoreceptors. Such dendritic sprouting increased with age and was evident at all retinal eccentricities. These results provide evidence of retinal plasticity associated with normal aging.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging*
  • Animals
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cellular Senescence
  • Dendrites / metabolism
  • Dendrites / pathology*
  • Dendritic Cells / cytology
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Nerve Degeneration
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Retina / pathology*
  • Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / cytology*
  • Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / pathology*