A whole-mount horseradish peroxidase study of the retinal central projection in normal and monocular rats

Anatomical mapping of the retinal central projection in albino rats was performed by whole-mount HRP histochemistry, after intraocular injection of HRP. The overall features of the retinal central pathways from the optic chiasma to the superior colliculus as well as the accessory optic systems in normal and monocular rats were clearly visualized, following application of a modified tetramethyl benzidine method on the whole-mounted brain stems including the diencephalon and the mid-brain. When combined with a partial retinal lesion, the whole-mount HRP method made feasible detection of the spatial retinotopy of the collicular projection.