Influence of low IOP and low calcium on retrograde axoplasmic transport in rat optic nerve in vitro.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injected into one lateral geniculate nucleus of male inbred PVG/Mol hooded rats is taken up by terminals of the optic nerve and transported retrogradely towards the opposite retina. Four hours after injection when a small portion of HRP had reached the retina, the eye and optic nerve were excised and incubated in vitro at 38 degrees C for another 3.5 hr during which the intraocular pressure (IOP) was set at 30 or 0 mmHg. During the in vitro period additional HRP entered the retina by axonal transport if the incubation medium contained enough Ca2+. Transport occurred at 0.45-1.1 mM Ca2+, but not at 0.30mM Ca2+. When transport occurred, no significant difference in degree of transport was found between the two pressures. The amount of HRP transported at 30 and 0 mmHg was very similar to that at 20 mmHg but significantly higher than that at 50 mmHg, (values at 20 and 50 mmHg from an earlier study). Thus, fast retrograde HRP transport was equally efficient at or near a physiological IOP as at zero pressure. Also, the degree of transport inhibition was not proportional to the height of the IOP, but started to increase above 30 mmHg. This is probably due to the presence of supporting tissue in the optic nerve head and inherent strength of the nerve fibers themselves. The lamina cribrosa in the rat eye is poorly developed and a shearing force on the nerve fibers due to laminar hole misalignment can largely be excluded. Effects on blood circulation are also excluded by the in vitro situation.