Localization of neuropeptide-immunoreactive neurons in the human retina.

Light microscopic immunocytochemistry was utilized to localize populations of neurons in the human retina immunoreactive for the following neuroactive peptides: substance P (SP), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), somatostatin (SOM) and LANT-6-(H-Lys-Asn-Pro-Tyr-Ile-Leu-OH), a hexapeptide which is identical to the C-terminal half of neurotensin except for the amino acid substitutions Lys/Arg and Asn/Arg. The majority of SP immunoreactive cells were amacrine cells whose pear-shaped or oval cell bodies (about 8 microns in diameter) were situated in the proximal parts of the inner nuclear layer. A small number of SP-stained somas (about 10-15 microns in diameter) were located in the ganglion cell layer and were designated as those of displaced amacrine cells. The SP-immunoreactive processes were distributed in sublamina 1, 3 and 5 with the most dense plexus being found in sublamina 3 of the inner layer. VIP-positive cell bodies (8-9 microns) were oval or pear-shaped and were situated in the innermost cell rows of inner nuclear layer. The majority of fine VIP-immunoreactive processes extended to sublamina 3 with only a few branches distributing in sublamina 1 of the inner plexiform layer. The SOM-stained cell bodies (10-11 microns) were round and were situated in the innermost cell rows of inner nuclear layer. SOM-positive processes were observed in sublamina 1 and 2 of the inner plexiform layer. The LANT-6 immunoreactive cell bodies (12-22 microns) were either oval-, round- or pyriform-shaped and were situated in ganglion cell layer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)