Lentoid formation in ectopic grafts of lentectomized eyes of rat foetuses

Enucleated and lentectomized eyeballs of 14- and 18-day rat foetuses were grafted under the kidney capsule of adult syngeneic rats for a period of 5-66 days. The grafts were then analysed by routine histology for the presence of lentoids. These developed only in 4 out of 41 grafts from the 18-day foetuses. Their origin from the retinal epithelium was evident from the cellular continuity via gradual transitional cellular forms. Lentoids did not develop in grafts from 14-day rat foetuses.