Blockage at two points of axonal transport in glaucomatous eyes.

Blockage of axonal protein transport in intraocular hypertensive primates (Macaca irus) was studied autoradiographically and quantitatively and the findings compared with our previous work on rabbits. Fast axonal transport was blocked at two points, at the lamina scleralis and at the edge of posterior scleral foramen, and reduced by 25% when intraocular pressure of 50 mmHg continued for 6 h. The importance of the blockage at the lamina scleralis and at the edge of scleral foramen for the explanation of paracentral scotomas and the peripheral nasal step (Rønne) is discussed.