Appearance and distribution of neurofilament immunoreactivity in iris nerves.

We have used antiserum raised against neurofilament (NF) protein and indirect immunofluorescence techniques to visualize neuronal structures in rodent, cat, and cow irides. In the adult rat iris a large population of nerve fibers with a nonautonomic distribution show NF-like immunoreactivity. In whole mounts, smooth fluorescent fibers were seen in a fine-meshed plexus from the sphincter margin to the ciliary processes. Superimposed, a sparse pattern of thick meandering axon bundles were seen. Electroblotting and peroxidase immunochemical staining techniques unequivocally showed the presence of all three NF polypeptides in the adult rat iris. Adult mouse irides showed a somewhat sparser pattern of NF-positive nerves than that of the rat. Adult guinea pig irides contained irregular NF-positives fibers and few axon bundles. In cryostat-sectioned cat iris numerous irregularly distributed individual fibers were found, whereas in similarly sectioned cow iris thick NF-positive axon bundles were more numerous. By embryonic day 18 numerous sparse NF-positive axons were seen, and the subsequent gradual increase in both axons in bundles and fine-meshed plexuses of individual fibers produced an appearance similar to that in the adult by 6 days of postnatal age. One week after grafting of irides to the anterior eye chamber, most NF-positive nerves had disappeared from the iris grafts. Sympathetic and parasympathetic denervation of the irides did not influence the distribution of the NF-positive iris nerves. Five days after electrothermal lesion of the trigeminal nerve just distal to its ganglion a large proportion of the NF-positive nerves had disappeared from the iris. All perikarya in the parasympathetic ciliary and most perikarya in the superior cervical sympathetic and in the trigeminal sensory ganglion showed NF immunoreactivity. The present report shows a way to visualize nonautonomic nerve populations in stretch-prepared as well as sectioned irides by immunofluorescence techniques using an antiserum to neurofilament protein.