Effects of neonatal and late unilateral enucleation on optokinetic responses and optic nerve projections in the rabbit

Rabbits were unilaterally enucleated at the age of 0 or 21 days or at adult age. After survival times of 6–21 months optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) was measured and retinofugal connections were traced with anterograde transport of horseradish peroxidase or 3H leucine, injected into the eye. Non-enucleated animals served as controls. The asymmetry of monocular OKN in normal rabbits, characterized by a strong preference for pursuit of motion in the nasal (anterior) direction, was only slightly alleviated after enucleation. Responses to stimulation in the nasal direction were unchanged; responses to stimulation in the temporal direction showed modest improvements especially after enucleation at adult age and to a smaller degree after enucleation at 0 or 21 days. Redistribution of retinofugal fibers from the eye remaining after enucleation was very limited. Contralateral connections, including those to the lateral geniculate nucleus, showed a normal distribution. Of the ipsilateral connections, those to the lateral geniculate nucleus were normal in extent and density, while those to the superior colliculus were enhanced, in agreement with previous workers (Chow et al. 1973, 1981). Changes in ipsilateral pretectal projections were extremely small; particularly no connections to the nucleus of the optic tract were developed in any of the normal or enucleated animals. Of the accessory optic nuclei, the medial terminal nucleus received a very small ipsilateral projection in normal rabbits, which was markedly enhanced after enucleation especially at 0 and 21 days, but even at adult age. It is concluded that functional and anatomical plasticity of OKN circuits in the rabbit is very limited from the time of birth.