Dopamine and serotonin in cat retina: electroretinography and histology.

Anatomical structures of the cat retina were related to functional changes induced by the application of dopaminergic and serotonergic substances. We report on the contribution of dopaminergic and serotonin accumulating retinal neurones to retinal activity as reflected by the electroretinogram. The effect of dopaminergic neurones was investigated by the application of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA) which is known to destroy dopaminergic neurones, and injections of either serotonin (5-HT) or the analogue 5,6-dihydroxy-tryptamine (5,6-DHT) were used to monitor the effects of indoleamines. In control experiments aminophosphonobutyric acid (APB), an agonist of glutamate transmission, was injected. Conventional immunohistochemical methods identified dopaminergic and serotonin accumulating neurones, and the electrophysiological data obtained from the same animals were related to the anatomical structures influenced by the respective substances. Destruction of dopaminergic amacrine cells by 6-OHDA increased the ERG b-wave amplitude. Accumulation of indoleamines by certain amacrine cells also caused an increase of the ERG b-wave. However, intra-vitreal injection of APB completely blocked the b-wave. The data show that ERG mass responses can be used to monitor transmitter-specific effects on retinal circuitry.