Electrical responses from detached retina inside the intact rabbit eye

The local ERG (LERG) from detached retina within the intact rabbit eye has been recorded. Retinal detachments were made in Dutch rabbit eyes by injecting Hanks' balanced salt solution into the subretinal space through a glass micropipette. Electrical responses were recorded with a double-barrelled microelectrode that was advanced through the vitreous until the tip penetrated the retina to enter the subretinal space while the other tip remained in the vitreous. Recordings from detached retina showed an initial fast positive, fast negative and late slow positive wave. The waveform and stimulus response characteristics of these waves (inverted) corresponded to the a-, b-wave and slow PIII respectively. None of the LERG waves was affected by intravenous sodium iodate and only the slow positive wave was extinguished by intravitreal barium chloride. This system for recording the LERG may be useful in investigating physiological changes in detached retina in vivo.