Vascular Structures of the Rabbit Retina*

Abstract

Several authors have described the vascular structures of the rabbit retina and its circulation. Michaelson (1954) was concerned with the preretinal character of the vascular net, and the partial vascularization of the retina by the retinal vessels. Mutlu and Leopold (1964) were interested in the structures of the capillary wall, and Ruskell (1962), in his study of the orbital arteries, described the different origins of the retinal artery. The most extensive study of the retinal vasculature in the rabbit has been that made by Rohen (1954), whose publication contains a review of earlier literature.During studies of the circulation in rabbit retinal vessels (Hyvarinen 1967 b), it was found necessary first to study their anatomy in detail. Flat preparation of the retinal whole mounts and digested vessel nets was decided upon for visualization of the three-dimensional structure of the vascular net, and for study of the connections between the superficial and deep vessels and the cellular structures of the capillary walls. The application of these new techniques, combined with serial paraffin cross-sections, made accurate study of the details of the retinal vessels possible, with the result that some new features could be revealed in the vasculature of the rabbit retina. MATERIAL A N D METHODSExaminations were made of 46 eyes of 30 healthy rabbits, both albino and grey, weighing from 2.5 kg to 5 kg, and varying in age from 6 to 30 months. The 'animals were killed by intravenous injections of 5 cc sodium pentobarbital. The eyes were enucleated immediately after death, and fixed in 10 O/O neutral formalin or Heidenhein's SUSA fixative.The retinal vessels were studied both in flat mounts and cross sections.

Circulation in the Fundus of the Rabbit Eye*

“…It can be assumed that this pressure induces considerable filtration of fluid into the adjacent tissue, leading to a marked haemoconcentration in the capillary. This is supported by the finding of a larger number of erythrocytes in the deep capillaries than in the superficial net capillaries in the digested flat mounts of the retinal vessels (Hyviirinen 1967 a). This might explain how so small a number of capillaries may nourish the thick layer of medullated nerve fibres.…”

Fluorescence Cineangiographic and Histological Studies on the Rabbit Eye During Experimental Hypercholesteremia

“…T h e eyes were enucleated immediately after death, and fixed in 10 o/o buffered aqueous formalin. Digested flat preparations of the retinal vessels and paraffin and frozen sections of the posterior half of the eye were made as described earlier (Hyviirinen 1967 a). The staining methods applied were hematoxylin -eosin, Weigert's iron -hematoxylin -van Gieson, periodic acid -Schiff (PAS) -hematoxylin, Rinehart's metachromasia and Weigert's resorcin-fuchsin elastic stain for paraffin sections and hematoxylin -eosin, PAS -hematoxylin, Sudan Black B and Oil Red 0 for frozen sections.…”

A physiologically based model to capture species-dependent differences in oxygen distribution in the posterior eye

“…Compared to human, the rabbit has a significantly less vascularized retina that only contains the SVP. 34,49 The species-dependent differences in the vasculature layout for the posterior eye models are shown in Figure 2.…”