RETINAL AGING IN MACACA MULATTA FROM PUERTO RICO

衰老和通常伴随的紫外线照射都会导致视觉系统的恶化，有证据表明两者之间存在协同作用。与年龄相关的人类视觉表现的下降是有充分证据的，一些下降可能是由于视网膜的解剖学变化。这是一项建议，旨在开发必要的定量方法，以评估并最终了解衰老和紫外线暴露对恒河猴视网膜神经节细胞层的影响。这项研究之所以成为可能，是因为波多黎各有一个独特的种群，它们具有相同的遗传种群，生活在户外。恒河猴视网膜是人类视网膜的一个很好的模型。在恒河猴和人类的神经节细胞层中，已经描述了两种类型的神经元(神经节细胞和移位的无长突细胞)以及两种类型的胶质细胞(星形胶质细胞和小胶质细胞)。这里提出的研究将开发方法来探索在波多黎各饲养的恒河猴在衰老过程中神经节细胞层的数量变化。在神经节细胞层中发现的四种细胞类型的密度和胞体大小谱将在不同年龄的恒河猴中独立研究。初步数据表明，在波多黎各饲养的老年恒河猴可能出现神经胶质增生和神经节细胞丢失。这些观察结果与最近的一份报告形成了对比，该报告表明，在威斯康星州饲养的老年恒河猴中，神经节细胞没有丢失，这表明波多黎各相对恶劣的光环境，包括高水平的紫外线，可能会导致或夸大衰老过程中神经节细胞层的变化。由于美国人口正在迅速老龄化，老化过程中视网膜的解剖变化特别令人感兴趣。紫外线对视网膜的另一种有害影响对公共卫生教育具有重要意义。

Both aging and the usually acompanying exposure to ultraviolet light cause deterioration of the visual system and there is evidence of synergy. Age related decline in human visual performance is well documented and some decrements may be due to anatomical changes in the retina. This is a proposal to develop the necessary quantitative methods to evaluate and eventually understand the effects of aging and ultraviolet light exposure on the ganglion cell layer of the rhesus monkey retina. This study is made possible by the availability of a unique population of rhesus monkeys of the same genetic stock that live outdoors in Puerto Rico. The rhesus monkey retina is a good model of the human retina. In the ganglion cell layer of both rhesus and humans two types of neurons (ganglion cells and displaced amacrine cells) have been described along with two types of glia (astrocytes and microglia). The research proposed here will develop methods to explore quantitative changes in the ganglion cell layer during aging in rhesus monkeys raised in Puerto Rico. The density and soma size spectra of the four cell types found in the ganglion cell layer will be studied independently in rhesus monkeys of various ages. Preliminary data indicate possible gliosis and loss of ganglion cells in older rhesus monkeys raised in Puerto Rico. These observations contrast with a recent report indicating no loss of ganglion cells in older rhesus monkeys raised in Wisconsin and suggest that the relatively harsh photic environment of Puerto Rico, which includes high levels of ultraviolet light, may cause or exaggerate changes in the ganglion cell layer during aging. Anatomical changes in the retina during aging are of special interest since the human population of the United States is rapidly aging. An additional deleterious effect of ultraviolet radiation on the retina has significance for public health education.