Post-natal pattern of cell proliferation in retinal pigment epithelium of mice studied with tritiated thymidine autoradiography

Abstract

The post-natal proliferative activity of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells was studied using [ 3H]thymidine autoradiography in albino mice. A rise in RPE cell proliferative activity during the early post-natal stages was revealed. There were two peaks of labelling: in the posterior RPE area on day 1 and in the RPE periphery on day 3. Almost 80% of RPE cells in the posterior area passed through the acytokinetic mitosis and became binucleate, whereas in the periphery the majority of cyclic cells passed through complete mitosis and accounted for RPE cell multiplication.