Transplant of embryonal nervous tissue preserves the responses of rat retinal ganglion cells after section of the optic nerve.

We have investigated the effectiveness of embryonal tectal tissue transplants in preserving the physiological activity of lesioned ganglion cells by recording the visual responses from the adult rat retina after section of the optic nerve, with or without transplants of embryonal nervous tissue on the stump. We have found that transplant of embryonal nervous tissue at the level of the optic nerve section has dramatic effects in preserving visual retinal responses to patterned stimuli for times as long as five months after surgery. By this time retinal responses to patterned stimuli have almost completely disappeared in control animals with optic nerve section alone.