Aims: 

Environmental enrichment influences the development and functions of the nervous system, including the visual system, and provides beneficial effects in brain and retinal damage. Social isolation, in turn, induces memory deficit, release of stress factors and altered behavior.

Methods: 

In this study we compared the degree of retinal degeneration in adult rats kept in standard environment (control), enriched environment (enlarged cage or complex enrichment) or in social isolation following bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO). Rats were kept under different conditions from the day of operation.

Results: 

Histological analysis after two weeks of survival revealed that retina thickness following BCCAO was less than 30% of the normal retinas in rats kept in standard cages. Expanded cage had a significant protective effect of nearly 30% amelioration compared to control rats, while in rats kept in enriched environment, the retina suffered only an approximately 25% reduction in thickness. Social isolation in female rats, but not males, resulted in more severe retinal degeneration than in controls.

Conclusion: 

In summary, we showed that environmental enrichment is protective against retinal degeneration induced by BCCAO in rats. In contrast, social isolation led to a more severe retinal damage, but only in females, implying that female rats have a higher degree of ischemic sensitivity in isolated conditions than males.

Support: 

OTKA K72592, F67830, CNK78480, ETT278-04/2009, Richter, Science, please!, SROP-4.2.1.B-10/2/KONV-2010-0002