Retinal input to the suprachiasmatic nucleus before and after puberty in Djungarian hamsters

Retinal projections to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) mediate the effect of photoperiod to entrain circadian rhythms and to control reproductive maturation in the Djungarian hamster. To determine whether the retinal innervation of the SCN had fully developed by the onset of puberty in this hamster species, prepubertal and postpubertal hamsters received an intraocular unilateral injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and after 24 h, the anterograde transport of HRP to the SCN was studied. In prepubertal hamsters, the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT) was found to project to the medial and caudal SCN, principally the ventrolateral regions and, to an extent, the dorsomedial portion of the nucleus. RHT innervation was asymmetric; the SCN contralateral to the monocular injection received the dominant projection. A similar pattern of retinal projections was found postpubertally; however, the ipsilateral SCN was less extensively labelled with HRP and smaller as determined by Nissl counterstain compared to that in prepubertal hamsters. These findings indicate that modifications in the retinal innervation of the SCN occur as late as puberty, and may be part of a developmental change in the mechanism which processes photoperiodic information during sexual maturation.