Abstract
Purpose: :
To describe the distribution of Muller cells within the peripapillary human retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL).
Methods: :
Eleven unpaired normal postmortem eyes were recruited into this study. Each eye was sectioned using the "umbrella technique" to obtain a concentric peripapillary ring centered on the optic disc, with a diameter of 3.0mm. Immunohistochemistry with anti- CRALBP antibodies (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, CA) stained Muller cells within each ring. Slides were scanned with a ScanScope scanner (Aperio Technologies, Vista, CA) and analyzed with Matlab (MathWorks, Natick, MA). Statistical analysis was performed with JMP statistical discovery 7.0 (SAS, Cary, NC).
Results: :
RNFL thickness measurements measured with the MatLab code were more accurate than the previously published ones, but with the same distribution around the peripapillary ring (262.5, 339.4, 285.4 and 347.5 microns for the temporal, superior, nasal and inferior quadrants, respectively). Muller cells were found to be unevenly distributed in the peripapillary retinas. The relative Muller cells staining to the thickness of each measured segment (16.6%, 15.2%, 21.3%, and 17.9% for the temporal, superior, nasal and inferior quadrants, respectively) showed a marked increase in the nasal quadrant.
Conclusions: :
RNFL thickness measurements by imaging techniques should compensate for the lower relative content of Muller cells superiorly and the higher content nasally. Further study should compare the distribution of Muller cells in normal versus glaucomatous eyes.
Keywords: anatomy • immunohistochemistry • Muller cells