Visual Neuroscience

Table of Contents - 1998 - Volume 15, Issue 01  


Light-stimulated release of dopamine from the primate retina is blocked by l-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (APB)

MEEUWIS K.  BOELEN a1c1, MARY G.  BOELEN a1 and DAVID W.  MARSHAK a1
a1 Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical School, Houston

Abstract

Macaca mulatta retinas were superfused, in vitro, to measure the efflux of dopamine. Steady light, in the low photopic range, stimulated dopamine release slightly. Flashing light (3 Hz) superimposed over the steady background increased dopamine efflux significantly. This increase was completely blocked by the addition of d,l-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (d,l-APB, 10–100 [mu]M) to the superfusion medium, but not by the addition of the inactive enantiomer d-APB (10 [mu]M). The results suggest that ON bipolar cells provide the excitatory drive to dopaminergic amacrine cells in primates, as in other species.

(Received February 17 1997)
(Accepted July 29 1997)


Key Words: Amacrine cell; Bipolar cell; Glutamate; Macaque; Monkey.

Correspondence:
c1 Reprint requests to: Meeuwis K. Boelen, Centre for Research on Ageing and Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, P.O. Box 199, Bendigo, Victoria 3552, Australia. E-mail: M.Boelen@bendigo.latrobe.edu.au.