TY - JOUR
TI - Histamine Involvement in Visual Development and Adaptation
AU - Bessinis, Dimitrios P.
AU - Dalla, Christina
AU - Papadopoulou-Daifoti,
AU - Zeta
AU - Tiligada, Ekaterini
JO - Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
PY - 2012
VL - 53
TODO - 12
SP - 7498-7503
PB - ASSOC RESEARCH VISION OPHTHALMOLOGY INC
SN - 0146-0404, 1552-5783
TODO - 10.1167/iovs.12-10809
TODO - null
TODO - PURPOSE. This study evaluated the level of histamine in the interaction
between the environment and the visual system during lifespan
development, exploring potential sex differences.
METHODS. Male and female Wistar rats, reared in standard laboratory or
enriched-environment cages from birth to prepuberty or adulthood, were
sacrificed during the critical period for visual development at
postnatal day (P) 25 (P25) or in adulthood at P90. Additionally, animals
born in standard conditions were exposed to an enriched environment at
P90 and sacrificed at P150. The optic chiasm and the visual cortex were
dissected out and tissue histamine was quantified fluorophotometrically.
Statistical analyses were performed by ANOVA.
RESULTS. Histamine levels in the optic chiasm were higher in male than
in female rats at all ages. Comparable sex differences in the visual
cortex were observed only during prepuberty. Basal histamine content in
the optic chiasm was higher in prepuberty and decreased in adulthood in
a sex-independent manner. Exposure to an enriched environment decreased
optic chiasm histamine levels in both sexes and resulted in no sex
difference in the cortical histamine levels at any age. Increased amine
levels were detected in the optic chiasm of female rats exposed to an
enriched environment during adulthood.
CONCLUSIONS. This study presents first evidence associating central
histamine levels with the visual system development and environmental
adaptation, thus providing the lead for the investigation of the
hitherto elusive role of histamine in the regulation of visual
processes. Furthermore, the findings challenge the impact of laboratory
animal raising environments in developmental and behavioral studies.
(Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012; 53: 7498-7503)
DOI:10.1167/iovs.12-10809
ER -