Ganglion cell contributions to the rat full-field electroretinogram

The purpose of this study was to determine what contributions are made to the rat full-field electroretinogram (ERG) by ganglion cells (GCs). To that end, the ERG was assessed longitudinally following optic nerve transection (ONTx). Additional studies were conducted using intravitreal injections of pharmacologically active substances. The ERG was recorded simultaneously from both eyes of anaesthetized adult Brown-Norway rats (ketamine: xylazine: acepromazine, 55: 5: 1 mg kg(-1)) using custom silver chloride electrodes. Stimuli were brief, white xenon discharges delivered via a Ganzfeld under dark-adapted and light-adapted conditions (150 cd m(-2)). ERGs were obtained 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9 weeks after ONTx (n = 8) or sham (n = 8) operations. ONTx reduced both positive and negative components of the scotopic threshold response (pSTR and nSTR). Scotopic ERG responses to brighter flashes, including a-waves, b-waves and oscillatory potentials (OPs) were unaffected by ONTx. ONTx reduced the photopic b-wave and OPs. TTX (6 microM) reduced the pSTR and nSTR, but not the scotopic a-wave, b-wave or OPs. TTX had dramatic effects on the photopic ERG, surpassing the effects of ONTx. TTX application 9 weeks post-ONTx had little additional effect on the STR. Inhibition of inner retinal responses using GABA (10 mM) or NMDA (0.8 mM) reduced the nSTR substantially. Similar results were obtained with antagonists of AMPA/KA ionotropic glutamate receptors 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3(1H,4H)-dione (CNQX, 0.2 mM) or cis-2,3-piperidinedicarboxylic acid (PDA, 5 mm); however, both also reduced the scotopic b-wave by approximately 40 %. By contrast, the NMDA receptor antagonist D(-)-2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (D-AP7, 0.2 mM) had no effect alone, but the combination of D-AP7 and CNQX completely abolished the STR. The results of this study indicate that: (1) both pSTR and nSTR components in the rat depend directly upon intact GC responses, and that amacrine cell contributions to these components are relatively small; (2) scotopic ERG response components to brighter flashes receive little influence from GCs; (3) the rat photopic ERG also reflects GC signals and may serve as an additional useful test of GC function; (4) TTX had dramatic effects on the rat photopic ERG that were not attributable to GC currents, but rather to voltage-gated sodium currents in amacrine or interplexiform cells; (5) a small residual negative STR persisted after ONTx that was likely to be generated by graded responses of third-order retinal cells, most likely amacrine cells.