Multilayered retinal microglial response to optic nerve transection in rats.

Abstract

Histological characteristics of normal rat retinal microglia are uniform across different retinal eccentricities for each of the three laminae where they exist. Retinal microglia of various layers respond to optic nerve damage. Their increase in numbers and morphological transformation follow retinal ganglion cell death. Their morphology, density, and layered distribution slowly return to normal, confirming that retinal ganglion cells, or their densities, do not play any role in dictating microglial distribution within the different retinal layers.