CHRONIC STRESS AND AGING INFLUENCES ON RETINAL NEURONS

白化病大鼠视网膜感光细胞（视杆细胞和视锥细胞）变性 随着年龄的增长;暴露于等于或大于300英尺烛光的光线下 加速了这个过程。 初步数据表明，激素影响 感光细胞变性：垂体和性腺切除术 保护免受可见光的破坏性影响，而高等离子体 催乳素的水平加重了细胞的破坏。 初步数据显示 持续7天每天8小时的慢性压力（而不是7天每天4小时） 天）也影响大鼠的感光细胞。 在另一项试点研究中， 慢性压力4小时/天，持续1年（12至24个月大） 完全破坏了视网膜感光细胞，严重损害了 双极细胞 研究人员计划检查所有项目中动物的视网膜 在节目中。 他将进行光学和EM显微镜，以确定 视网膜神经元损伤的形态学范围和定位 年龄压力或荷尔蒙状态的变化 具体目标是 将不同年龄段的压力类型和持续时间与严重程度相关联 视网膜损伤;将衰老和压力引起的内分泌 视网膜损伤的变化;并确定易受 衰老过程中的慢性压力

The photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) in the albino rat retina degenerate with age; exposure to light equal to or greater than 300 foot-candles accelerates this process. Preliminary data indicate that hormones influence photoreceptor cell degeneration: hypophysectomy and gonadectomy both protect against the damaging effects of visable light, whereas high plasma levels of prolactin accentuate cell destruction. Preliminary data indicate that chronic stress for 8 hours/day for 7 days (but not 4 hours/day for 7 days) also affects photoreceptor cells in rats. In another pilot study, chronic stress 4 hours/day for 1 year (between 12 and 24 months of age) totally abolished the retinal photoreceptor cells and badly damaged the bipolar cells. The investigator plans to examine the retinas of animals from all projects in the program. He will perform light and EM microscopy to determine the morphological extent and localization of damage to retinal neurons induced by age, stress, or change in hormonal state. The specific aims are to correlate the type and duration of stress for different ages to the severity of retinal damage; to correlate the aging and stress-induced endocrine changes with retinal damage; and to determine periods of vulnerability to chronic stress during aging.