Chlorphentermine-induced lipidosis in the rat retina: a functional and morphological study

Chronic administration of the cationic amphiphilic anorexigenic drug chlorphentermine to rats has previously been shown to induce extraocular and ocular lipidosis: large numbers of lipidosis-related cytoplasmic inclusions can be found in the pigment epithelium and smaller numbers in the neuroretina. In the present study, female albino Wistar rats were treated orally with chlorphentermine (30-45 mg/kg body weight) for 4-16 weeks. The animals were submitted to electroretinography, and the retinae were prepared for histological investigations. Our histological findings corresponded to previous reports. The changes in electroretinographic parameters were low. The clearest change was a reduction of the b-wave amplitude of 20% after 12 and 16 weeks of treatment compared with the values before drug treatment. The a-wave amplitude did not differ from that in the control group. Lipidosis in the neuroretina may be the reason for functional influences on the b-wave amplitude. The function of the receptor cells, which is represented by the a-wave, appeared unaffected by chlorphentermine.