Pexid-induced rat retinal pathology.

Three morphologically distinct kinds of cytoplasmic inclusion (lamellar, reticular and crystalloid) developed in the retinal cells of suckling rats treated with Pexid (300 mg/kg/day). Lamellar inclusions were most abundant and they were seen in all types of retinal cells. This variety of inclusion was especially numerous in the ganglion cells. Reticular inclusions were encountered less commonly than the lamellar type and their distribution did not show any particular cellular predilection. Crystalloid inclusions were observed only in the pigment epithelial cells. The mechanism of formation of the three types of inclusion is not known, nor is the reason why certain types of inclusion occur most commonly in a particular kind of cell. One can speculate, however, that the dissimilarity of form may reflect differences in the metabolism and physiochemical properties of the various retinal cells.