May C A, Hayreh S S, Furuyoshi N, Ossoinig K, Kaufman P L, Lütjen-Drecoll E
Department of Anatomy II, Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nümberg, Germany.
Ophthalmologica. 1997;211(3):161-71. doi: 10.1159/000310784.
The choroid of primates possesses an elaborate nitrergic nerve fiber plexus containing a great number of ganglion cells. Postganglionic nerve fibers innervate mainly the choroidal vasculature. In addition, the choroid contains an elastic muscular system closely associated to the vasculature. The goal of the present investigation was to analyze how sustained IOP elevation would affect the choroidal vasculature with its specialized innervation and the adjacent retina. For this purpose the posterior eye segment of 15 rhesus monkeys which after laser coagulation of the trabecular meshwork developed elevated IOP up to 4 years were studied using immunohistochemical and histochemical methods, and scanning electron microscopy of corrosion casts. The most striking finding was a significant reduction of choroidal thickness and loss of choroidal ganglion cells and nerve fibers, especially in the central portion of the choroid. Corrosion casts of the choroidal vasculature showed a slight decrease in capillary density and a decrease in length of the arterioles in glaucomatous eyes. Whole mount preparations of the retina stained for NADPH diaphorase revealed a significant reduction in positively stained amacrine cells, reduction in diameter of arterioles and changes in the staining pattern of the retinal vasculature, particularly in the perimacular region.
灵长类动物的脉络膜拥有一个复杂的含氮能神经纤维丛，其中包含大量神经节细胞。节后神经纤维主要支配脉络膜血管系统。此外，脉络膜含有一个与血管系统紧密相关的弹性肌肉系统。本研究的目的是分析持续的眼压升高如何影响具有特殊神经支配的脉络膜血管系统以及相邻的视网膜。为此，使用免疫组织化学和组织化学方法以及腐蚀铸型扫描电子显微镜，对15只恒河猴的眼后段进行了研究，这些猴子在小梁网激光凝固后眼压升高长达4年。最显著的发现是脉络膜厚度显著降低，脉络膜神经节细胞和神经纤维丧失，尤其是在脉络膜的中央部分。脉络膜血管系统的腐蚀铸型显示青光眼眼中毛细血管密度略有降低，小动脉长度缩短。用NADPH黄递酶染色的视网膜整装标本显示，阳性染色的无长突细胞显著减少，小动脉直径减小，视网膜血管系统的染色模式发生变化，尤其是在黄斑周围区域。
