Metabolic response to optic centers to visual stimuli in the albino rat: anatomical and physiological considerations

Journal Article · Fri Jul 10 04:00:00 EDT 1981 · J. Comp. Neurol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.901990402· OSTI ID:5441105

Toga, A W; Collins, R C

The functional organization of the visual system was studied in the albino rat. Metabolic differences were measured using the /sup 14/C-2-deoxyglucose (DG) autoradiographic technique during visual stimulation of one entire retina in unrestrained animals. All optic centers responded to changes in light intensity but to different degrees. The greatest change occurred in the superior colliculus, less in the lateral geniculate, and considerably less in second-order sites such as layer IV of visual cortex. These optic centers responded in particular to on/off stimuli, but showed no incremental change during pattern reversal or movement of orientation stimuli. Both the superior colliculus and lateral geniculate increased their metabolic rate as the frequency of stimulation increased, but the magnitude was twice as great in the colliculus. The histological pattern of metabolic change in the visual system was not homogenous. In the superior colliculus glucose utilization increased only in stratum griseum superficiale and was greatest in visuotopic regions representing the peripheral portions of the visual field. Similarly, in the lateral geniculate, only the dorsal nucleus showed an increased response to greater stimulus frequencies. Second-order regions of the visual system showed changes in metabolism in response to visual stimulation, but no incremental response specific for type or frequency of stimuli. To label proteins of axoplasmic transport to study the terminal fields of retinal projections /sup 14/C-amino acids were used. This was done to study how the differences in the magnitude of the metabolic response among optic centers were related to the relative quantity of retinofugal projections to these centers.

• OSTI ID: 5441105
• Journal Information: J. Comp. Neurol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Comp. Neurol.; (United States) Vol. 199:4; ISSN JCNEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550501 -- Metabolism-- Tracer Techniques
550801 -- Morphology-- Tracer Techniques
551001* -- Physiological Systems-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMINO ACIDS
ANATOMY
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
BODY
BODY AREAS
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
EYES
FACE
HEAD
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
METABOLISM
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PHYSIOLOGY
RETINA
SACCHARIDES
SENSE ORGANS
STIMULI
VISION