RETINAL AGING IN MACACA MULATTA FROM PUERTO RICO

老化和通常伴随的紫外线照射都会导致视觉系统的恶化，并且有证据表明它们之间存在协同作用。 与年龄相关的人类视觉性能的下降是有据可查的，并且一些下降可能是由于视网膜的解剖学变化。 这是一个建议，开发必要的定量方法来评估和最终了解老化和紫外线照射对恒河猴视网膜神经节细胞层的影响。 这项研究是有可能的可用性的一个独特的人口恒河猴相同的遗传股票生活在户外波多黎各。 恒河猴视网膜是人类视网膜的良好模型。 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）沿着两种类型的神经胶质（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衰老过程中神经节细胞层的定量变化。将在不同年龄的恒河猴中独立研究神经节细胞层中发现的四种细胞类型的密度和索马尺寸谱。 初步数据表明，在波多黎各饲养的老年恒河猴可能存在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对比，该报告表明在威斯康星州饲养的老年恒河猴中没有神经节细胞的损失，并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，因此衰老过程中视网膜的解剖学变化特别令人感兴趣。 紫外线辐射对视网膜的另一种有害影响对公众健康教育具有重要意义。

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.