Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Structural specializations of human retinal glial cells

J M Ramírez¹, A Triviño, A I Ramírez

¹Instituto de Investigaciones oftalmológicas, Ramón Castroviejo, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.

Vision Research

|July 1, 1996

Summary

Human retinal glial cells, astrocytes and Müller cells, share similar structures and junctions. This suggests they perform comparable functions, with specialized perivascular astrocytes absent in human retinas.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Enhanced recovery after surgery programs in perioperative medicine: From implementation to intelligent, data-driven care.

Revista espanola de anestesiologia y reanimacion·2026

Same author

Outcomes of Preserflo MicroShunt Implantation in Refractory Childhood Glaucoma Following Ahmed Glaucoma Valve Surgery.

Ophthalmology. Glaucoma·2025

Same author

Objective comparison of a sit to stand test to the walk test for the identification of unilateral lameness caused by cranial cruciate ligament disease in dogs.

The Journal of small animal practice·2023

Same author

Transanal full-thickness excision for rectal neoplasm: is it advisable to leave the defect open?

Langenbeck's archives of surgery·2023

Same author

Combined transposition of internal obturator and superficial gluteal muscles for perineal hernia treatment in dogs: 17 cases (2017-2020).

The Journal of small animal practice·2022

Same author

A randomised phase II study of osimertinib and bevacizumab versus osimertinib alone as second-line targeted treatment in advanced NSCLC with confirmed EGFR and acquired T790M mutations: the European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP 10-16) BOOSTER trial.

Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology·2021

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Ophthalmology
Cell Biology

Background:

Astrocytes and Müller glia are critical glial cells in the human retina.
Their specific roles and intercellular interactions are vital for retinal function and structure.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the ultrastructural characteristics and intercellular junctions of astrocytes and Müller glia in the human retina.
To determine the presence of specific glial subtypes, such as Wolter's perivascular astrocytes.

Main Methods:

Electron microscopy was employed to examine the fine structure of retinal glial cells.
Immunohistochemistry was utilized to confirm cellular distribution and identify specific glial markers.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

Astrocytes and Müller cells contribute to key retinal structures, including the internal limiting membrane and vascular sheaths.

Two types of cell junctions, adherent and gap junctions, were identified between these glial cells.

Gap junctions were exclusively found between astrocyte processes.

Ultrastructural analysis revealed uniform characteristics among retinal astrocytes, and Wolter's perivascular astrocytes were not detected.

Conclusions:

Astrocytes and Müller cells exhibit functional similarities in the human retina due to shared structural specializations and junctions.
The absence of distinct perivascular astrocytes in humans suggests a unified astrocyte population in this species.