Reese B E, Cowey A
Exp Brain Res. 1986;61(2):375-85. doi: 10.1007/BF00239526.
The distributions of the ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting large ganglion cells in the retina of the rat were determined, using the retrograde transport of Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) following injections into one optic tract. Labelled large retinal ganglion cells occur throughout the contralateral retina and throughout the temporal crescent of the ipsilateral retina, but there is a noticeable decrease in their density in the contralateral retina's temporal crescent. This retinal region was identified in these same retinae by injecting a retrogradely transported fluorescent tracer into the optic tract opposite that receiving the HRP. The density of large retinal ganglion cells increases in both the contralateral retina and the ipsilateral temporal crescent in the upper temporal periphery such that, together, these two populations of large cells combine to produce a peak density centred on the retinal representation of the visual field's vertical midline. This peak density of large retinal ganglion cells must therefore be further peripheral than the peak density for the total population of retinal ganglion cells, since all evidence indicates that the latter is positioned nasal to the vertical midline's representation. This was verified in one rat, in which the density distribution of the total population of retinal ganglion cells was determined and compared with the distribution of the large cell population. The results suggest that the rat possesses a specialized retinal focus of large ganglion cells for viewing the visual field directly in front of the animal.
通过向一侧视束注射辣根过氧化物酶（HRP）进行逆行运输，确定了大鼠视网膜中向同侧和对侧投射的大神经节细胞的分布。标记的大视网膜神经节细胞出现在对侧视网膜以及同侧视网膜的颞侧新月区，但在对侧视网膜的颞侧新月区其密度明显降低。通过向接受HRP注射的视束对侧注射逆行运输的荧光示踪剂，在这些相同的视网膜中确定了该视网膜区域。在颞上周边区域，对侧视网膜和同侧颞侧新月区的大视网膜神经节细胞密度均增加，使得这两组大细胞共同形成一个以视野垂直中线的视网膜代表区为中心的峰值密度。因此，大视网膜神经节细胞的这个峰值密度一定比视网膜神经节细胞总数的峰值密度更靠外周，因为所有证据表明后者位于垂直中线代表区的鼻侧。在一只大鼠中对此进行了验证，确定了视网膜神经节细胞总数的密度分布并与大细胞群体的分布进行了比较。结果表明，大鼠拥有一个专门的大神经节细胞视网膜焦点，用于观察动物正前方的视野。
