Ontogenesis of the electroretinogram in a precocial mammal, the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus)

Structural and functional maturation of the retina of the albino Hartley guinea pig

“…Our results are in accord with previous studies reporting the postnatal maturation of retinal function in other precocial animals, such as human [25][26][27][28][29]41], primates [18], lamb [23], sheep [24], chicken [16,17] and guinea pigs [32,33], where the neural differentiation and establishment of synaptic connections within the retina occur mostly in utero [15,18,[42][43][44], explaining the almost adult-like ERG at birth [16,17,24,25,27,32,33,44]. This is however in sharp contrast with reports demonstrating a significant maturation of the retinal signal in altricial animals, such as rodents [8,45,46], rabbits [9][10][11]47], cats [1,2] and dogs [3,4] where a significant maturation of the retina takes place after birth and the first ERG manifestation is usually obtained at eye opening (normally during the second week of life).…”

“…This is however in sharp contrast with reports demonstrating a significant maturation of the retinal signal in altricial animals, such as rodents [8,45,46], rabbits [9][10][11]47], cats [1,2] and dogs [3,4] where a significant maturation of the retina takes place after birth and the first ERG manifestation is usually obtained at eye opening (normally during the second week of life). However, notwithstanding the fact that guinea pigs are born with an ERG response of adult-like morphology [32,33,44,48], all its components (e.g. a-and b-waves and OPs) do nonetheless show age-dependent amplitude and peak time changes suggestive of a maturation process, albeit not as marked as in altricial animals.…”

Structural and functional maturation of the retina of the albino Hartley guinea pig

“…Our results are in accord with previous studies reporting the postnatal maturation of retinal function in other precocial animals, such as human [25][26][27][28][29]41], primates [18], lamb [23], sheep [24], chicken [16,17] and guinea pigs [32,33], where the neural differentiation and establishment of synaptic connections within the retina occur mostly in utero [15,18,[42][43][44], explaining the almost adult-like ERG at birth [16,17,24,25,27,32,33,44]. This is however in sharp contrast with reports demonstrating a significant maturation of the retinal signal in altricial animals, such as rodents [8,45,46], rabbits [9][10][11]47], cats [1,2] and dogs [3,4] where a significant maturation of the retina takes place after birth and the first ERG manifestation is usually obtained at eye opening (normally during the second week of life).…”

“…This is however in sharp contrast with reports demonstrating a significant maturation of the retinal signal in altricial animals, such as rodents [8,45,46], rabbits [9][10][11]47], cats [1,2] and dogs [3,4] where a significant maturation of the retina takes place after birth and the first ERG manifestation is usually obtained at eye opening (normally during the second week of life). However, notwithstanding the fact that guinea pigs are born with an ERG response of adult-like morphology [32,33,44,48], all its components (e.g. a-and b-waves and OPs) do nonetheless show age-dependent amplitude and peak time changes suggestive of a maturation process, albeit not as marked as in altricial animals.…”

Development of postreceptoral function in pigmented and albino guinea pigs

“…We found an electronegative waveform (b0a-wave ratio Ͻ 1) in our animals consistent with those reported by Dassa et al (1998). Why this should occur is not readily apparent, as we have found electropositive a0b-wave ratios in other strains of guinea pigs consistent with the literature (van Hof & Usami, 1967;Huang et al, 1990). However, in these animals an electronegativity is prominent and unmistakable ( Fig.…”

“…1) and significant postnatal maturation of b-waves and oscillatory potentials (Bornschein, 1959;van Hof & Usami, 1967;Dassa et al, 1998). In contrast, Huang et al (1990) were unable to demonstrate any postnatal maturation in b-wave responses. It is possible that the postreceptoral changes found with age simply reflect receptoral development.…”

The effects of dietary α‐linolenic acid compared with docosahexaenoic acid on brain, retina, liver, and heart in the guinea pig

“…In contrast, altricial species such as rats and dogs have the greater part of retinal development occurring after birth (33). As a consequence of these differences in retinogenesis, the development of retinal function has been reported as more similar in man and guinea pigs than it is in rats (34)(35)(36). Therefore, the effects that neonatal dietary manipulations have on function may be expected to vary between species.…”

Structural and functional maturation of the retina of the albino Hartley guinea pig

“…Our results are in accord with previous studies reporting the postnatal maturation of retinal function in other precocial animals, such as human [25][26][27][28][29]41], primates [18], lamb [23], sheep [24], chicken [16,17] and guinea pigs [32,33], where the neural differentiation and establishment of synaptic connections within the retina occur mostly in utero [15,18,[42][43][44], explaining the almost adult-like ERG at birth [16,17,24,25,27,32,33,44]. This is however in sharp contrast with reports demonstrating a significant maturation of the retinal signal in altricial animals, such as rodents [8,45,46], rabbits [9][10][11]47], cats [1,2] and dogs [3,4] where a significant maturation of the retina takes place after birth and the first ERG manifestation is usually obtained at eye opening (normally during the second week of life).…”

“…This is however in sharp contrast with reports demonstrating a significant maturation of the retinal signal in altricial animals, such as rodents [8,45,46], rabbits [9][10][11]47], cats [1,2] and dogs [3,4] where a significant maturation of the retina takes place after birth and the first ERG manifestation is usually obtained at eye opening (normally during the second week of life). However, notwithstanding the fact that guinea pigs are born with an ERG response of adult-like morphology [32,33,44,48], all its components (e.g. a-and b-waves and OPs) do nonetheless show age-dependent amplitude and peak time changes suggestive of a maturation process, albeit not as marked as in altricial animals.…”

Development of postreceptoral function in pigmented and albino guinea pigs

“…We found an electronegative waveform (b0a-wave ratio Ͻ 1) in our animals consistent with those reported by Dassa et al (1998). Why this should occur is not readily apparent, as we have found electropositive a0b-wave ratios in other strains of guinea pigs consistent with the literature (van Hof & Usami, 1967;Huang et al, 1990). However, in these animals an electronegativity is prominent and unmistakable ( Fig.…”

“…1) and significant postnatal maturation of b-waves and oscillatory potentials (Bornschein, 1959;van Hof & Usami, 1967;Dassa et al, 1998). In contrast, Huang et al (1990) were unable to demonstrate any postnatal maturation in b-wave responses. It is possible that the postreceptoral changes found with age simply reflect receptoral development.…”

The effects of dietary α‐linolenic acid compared with docosahexaenoic acid on brain, retina, liver, and heart in the guinea pig

“…In contrast, altricial species such as rats and dogs have the greater part of retinal development occurring after birth (33). As a consequence of these differences in retinogenesis, the development of retinal function has been reported as more similar in man and guinea pigs than it is in rats (34)(35)(36). Therefore, the effects that neonatal dietary manipulations have on function may be expected to vary between species.…”

Structural and functional maturation of the retina of the albino Hartley guinea pig

“…Our results are in accord with previous studies reporting the postnatal maturation of retinal function in other precocial animals, such as human [25][26][27][28][29]41], primates [18], lamb [23], sheep [24], chicken [16,17] and guinea pigs [32,33], where the neural differentiation and establishment of synaptic connections within the retina occur mostly in utero [15,18,[42][43][44], explaining the almost adult-like ERG at birth [16,17,24,25,27,32,33,44]. This is however in sharp contrast with reports demonstrating a significant maturation of the retinal signal in altricial animals, such as rodents [8,45,46], rabbits [9][10][11]47], cats [1,2] and dogs [3,4] where a significant maturation of the retina takes place after birth and the first ERG manifestation is usually obtained at eye opening (normally during the second week of life).…”

“…This is however in sharp contrast with reports demonstrating a significant maturation of the retinal signal in altricial animals, such as rodents [8,45,46], rabbits [9][10][11]47], cats [1,2] and dogs [3,4] where a significant maturation of the retina takes place after birth and the first ERG manifestation is usually obtained at eye opening (normally during the second week of life). However, notwithstanding the fact that guinea pigs are born with an ERG response of adult-like morphology [32,33,44,48], all its components (e.g. a-and b-waves and OPs) do nonetheless show age-dependent amplitude and peak time changes suggestive of a maturation process, albeit not as marked as in altricial animals.…”

Development of postreceptoral function in pigmented and albino guinea pigs

“…We found an electronegative waveform (b0a-wave ratio Ͻ 1) in our animals consistent with those reported by Dassa et al (1998). Why this should occur is not readily apparent, as we have found electropositive a0b-wave ratios in other strains of guinea pigs consistent with the literature (van Hof & Usami, 1967;Huang et al, 1990). However, in these animals an electronegativity is prominent and unmistakable ( Fig.…”

“…1) and significant postnatal maturation of b-waves and oscillatory potentials (Bornschein, 1959;van Hof & Usami, 1967;Dassa et al, 1998). In contrast, Huang et al (1990) were unable to demonstrate any postnatal maturation in b-wave responses. It is possible that the postreceptoral changes found with age simply reflect receptoral development.…”

The effects of dietary α‐linolenic acid compared with docosahexaenoic acid on brain, retina, liver, and heart in the guinea pig

“…In contrast, altricial species such as rats and dogs have the greater part of retinal development occurring after birth (33). As a consequence of these differences in retinogenesis, the development of retinal function has been reported as more similar in man and guinea pigs than it is in rats (34)(35)(36). Therefore, the effects that neonatal dietary manipulations have on function may be expected to vary between species.…”