IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF HIGH-LEVELS OF REDUCED GLUTATHIONE IN RADIAL GLIAL-CELLS AND HORIZONTAL CELLS IN THE RABBIT RETINA

Reduced glutathione is an antioxidant; it is thought to be essential for normal functioning of the central nervous system. We have examined by means of immunocytochemistry, the distribution of reduced glutathione in the retina of the rabbit. Strong immunoreactivity was present in the radial glial cells (Muller cells) and in the horizontal cells. Other neuronal elements contained only low, or no detectable levels of immunoreactivity for reduced glutathione. The presence of an abundance of reduced glutathione in glial cells suggests that glia play a critical role in regulating the content of potentially damaging oxidative species in the central nervous system.