Quantitative analysis of a cross-sectional area of the optic nerve: a comparison between albino and pigmented rats

Comparative studies were made on albino and gray rats by measuring several morphological characteristics seen in cross-sections of the optic nerve. The total cross-sectional area of the optic nerve was about 30% smaller in the albino than in the gray rat, while the fiber density was 1.4 times higher in the albino than in the gray rat. The estimated total fiber count was about the same in the two strains: around 100,000 to 110,000 fibers. Except for a few unmyelinated fibers (less than 1%) all fibers were myelinated. Axon diameters of the optic nerve fibers were distributed in smaller values for the albino than for the gray rat, though the overall diameter range was similar (0.2-3.0 micron). The myelin sheath was also thinner in the albino than in the gray rat.