Müller cell outgrowth after retinal detachment: association with cone photoreceptors

Subretinal gliosis is a relatively common occurrence after retinal reattachment. Because Müller cell processes only intermittently penetrate the outer limiting membrane (OLM) beneath extensive detachments, this study was conducted to determine whether this was preferentially associated with rod or cone photoreceptors.

Cat retinas were detached from the retinal pigment epithelium and 3 days later were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, embedded in 5% agarose, sectioned at 100 microm, and processed for standard immuohistochemistry. The retinas were double labeled with either anti-vimentin and anti-long/medium wavelength-sensitive (anti-L/M) cone opsin or anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and biotinylated peanut agglutinin (PNA).

The hypertrophy of Muller cells was readily traced using antibodies to vimentin and GFAP. When labeling with these antibodies was combined with labeling by either antibodies to cone opsins or biotinylated PNA, a consistent relationship was observed between the Müller cell processes growing through the OLM and cone photoreceptors. CONCLUSIONS. The growth of Müller cell processes into the subretinal space forms a fibrotic layer that completely inhibits the regeneration of outer segments. The current results show that there appears to be a highly specific interaction between growing Müller cell processes and cone photoreceptors during the earliest phase in this process.