Normal and regenerating rabbit retinal pigment epithelium studied by High voltage electron microscopy

Abstract

During regeneration the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) undergoes changes in cell shape and the distribution of organelles. To study these changes we used highvoltage electron microscopy (HVEM) to examine normal RPE cells and cells at different stages of maturation during regeneration induced by iv injections of sodium iodate, in rabbits. This chemical poisons much of the RPE, spared cells serving as a source of a new epithelial sheet. Tissue was processed for routine electron microscopy; serial sections 0.25 or 0.50 μm thick were mounted on Formvar coated slot grids, stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate, and examined with an AEI 1.2 MV high-voltage electron microscope. Cytological details were observed in stereo pictures and in series of sections that were used to make three-dimensional reconstructions.