Transience of astrocytes in the newborn macaque monkey retina

We investigated the morphology and spatial distribution of retinal astrocytes in newborn and early postnatal macaque monkeys. As in adults, retinal astrocytes in neonatal animals were closely associated with ganglion cell axons and blood vessels. However, in contrast with adults, astrocytes transiently occupied the fovea and perifoveal region in newborns and, to a lesser degree, also in early postnatal animals. The density of the perifoveal astrocytes rapidly declined during the first 2-3 months of life. The results are discussed in relationship to foveal development.