[Electron microscopic and morphometric study of the effects of ENKAD preparation on photoreceptor cells of the retina in Campbell rats with hereditary retinal dystrophy].

The drug , a complex of ribonucleotides, which was found to improve the vision in some patients with retinitis pigmentosa, stimulates the morphogenesis of rod outer segments (ROS) in mutant Campbell rats with inherent retinal dystrophy. Four litters of neonatal rats, which being subdivided into groups, were injected subcutaneously with either 0.1 ml of 3.5% drug (experimental group) or 0.1 ml of 0.9% NaCl (control group) daily for 6-7 days. The results were checked in posterior area of the retina at Day 7 by the method of electron microscopy and morphometry. The drug treatment resulted in the 12-20 per cent increase of ROS disc number as compared with that in control group. Therefore, photoreceptors are the first retinal cells to be stimulated by the complex of ribonucleotides in rats.