Distribution of Glycoconjugates During Wound Healing After Argon Laser Photocoagulation in Pigmented Rabbit Retina

ABSTRACT

Lectin is a non-immunological glycoprotein and binds specifically to carbohydrate terminals in tissue. Lectin histochemistry using 10 different biotinylated lectins was performed to investigate the effects on thirty-two pigmented rabbit retinas during wound healing. The results are as follows 1) In normal retina. a) WGA, RCA I, and LCA were bound to the internal limiting membrane. b) WGA, RCA I, LCA, and PNA were bound to the photoreceptor layer. c) WGA, RCA I, LCA, SJA, ConA and BSL I were bound to the basal side of retinal pigment epithelium. d) PNA was bound to cone cell only. e) SBA, DBA, and UEA I didn't bind to any layers of retina. 2) In photocoagulated wound. One day after photocoagulation WGA, LCA and RCA I began to show increased reaction. At 3 and 5 days these lectins sustained reactivity. At 7 days increased reactivity began to decrease or disappear from wound. Macrophages had positive reaction to BSL I, WGA, LCA, and RCA I. In conclusion these results indicate that a-mannose, a glucose, a, beta-galactose, N-acetylglucosamine, and N-acetylneuramic acid are present in glycoconjugates of normal rabbit neural retina. It seems that some glycoconjugates may be related to vitreoretinal, retinal and chorioretinal adhesion in normnal retinal, and after argon laser photocoagulation. WGA-binding, LCA-binding and RCA I-binding glycoconjugates may play a part in cell adhesion during early wound healing.