Catecholaminergic horizontal and amacrine cells in the ferret retina

Enzymes involved in the synthesis of catecholamines were detected in amacrine and what appeared to be a specific class of horizontal cells in the ferret retina. Antisera directed against the enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), which converts tyrosine to DOPA, and phenylethanolamine N-methyl-transferase (PNMT), which converts norepinephrine to epinephrine, were used with conventional immunohistochemical techniques. A population of perikarya located at the outer margin of the inner nuclear layer (INL) exhibited TH-like immunoreactivity. The cell bodies were 9-12 micron in diameter and gave rise to stout dendrites that tapered rapidly after emergence from the somata. The processes formed a planar array in the inner half of the outer plexiform layer (OPL) slightly external to the cells of origin. We could not detect any inwardly directed processes. A population of PNMT-positive cells was also observed in the outer tier of cells in the INL. These cells were very similar to those exhibiting TH immunoreactivity. An apparent difference between the 2 populations was that there were areas of intense, somewhat punctate PNMT immunoreactivity in the outer OPL. These were not observed in the TH-stained sections. Examination of horizontal sections showed that each TH-positive cell body gave rise to 4-5 major dendrites that branched to form a roughly circular dendritic field. In the periphery of the retina, an individual cell's dendrites encompassed an area up to 170 micron in diameter. The dendritic fields of cells near the center of the retina were substantially smaller.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)