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Abstract
Retinal uptake of tritiated dopamine was induced in cats either by preretinal perfusion or by carotid infusion as previously described. After glutaraldehyde fixation and Epon embedding, light-microscopic autoradiographs of the retina were prepared. Following preretinal perfusion, specific localization of activity was demonstrated in nerve fibers at the junction of the inner nuclear and inner plexiform layers, in occasional cell bodies in the same region, and in some cell bodies of the ganglion cell layer. This distribution corresponded exactly with that of known dopamine-containing neurons of the retina. Following carotid infusion, very little localization of activity was found in the retina, suggesting a significant blood-retinal barrier for dopamine.