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Journals / Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine / 2026 / Volume: 7 Issue: 4

Morphometric, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural examination of age-related structural alterations in optic nerve

Serpil Çilingiroğlu Anlı(KIRIKKALE ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ, TEMEL TIP BİLİMLERİ BÖLÜMÜ, ANATOMİ ANABİLİM DALI)0000-0003-1966-7609
Engin Çalgüner(Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Kyrenia University, Kyrenia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus)0000-0001-8248-5096
Deniz Erdoğan(GAZI UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-0796-8095
Dural Kadıoğlu(EGE UNIVERSITY)0009-0004-2837-0414
Çiğdem Elmas(GAZI UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-8857-0918
Rabet Gozil(YÜKSEK İHTİSAS ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-5493-7734
Meltem Bahçelioğlu(GAZI UNIVERSITY)0000-0001-5279-3450
Pages
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Publication Date
2024-07-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Conclusion: In this study, it was found that one of the causes of age-related vision loss is the advanced degenerative changes in the optic nerve and it was concluded that the remaining small-diameter myelinated nerve fibers may partially compensate for the sense of vision.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Aims: As individuals age, there is a known decline in visual function attributed to a reduction in the optic nerve fibers and myelin sheath degeneration.
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Key Findings & Data:Methods: The investigation involved 36 Wistar albino rats.
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Conclusion & Impact:Conclusion: In this study, it was found that one of the causes of age-related vision loss is the advanced degenerative changes in the optic nerve and it was concluded that the remaining small-diameter myelinated nerve fibers may partially compensate for the sense of vision.
🔬Design:Research Article
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Optic nerve · age-related changes · nerve growth factor

Abstract

Aims: As individuals age, there is a known decline in visual function attributed to a reduction in the optic nerve fibers and myelin sheath degeneration. Studies present conflicting findings on whether aging affects axonal integrity in the human optic nerve. This study aims to investigate degenerative changes in the aging rat optic nerve. Methods: The investigation involved 36 Wistar albino rats. The rats were divided into six groups: the newborn, prepubertal, pubertal, junior, adult, and elderly groups. This study investigated optic nerve axon counts, axon diameters, levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity (GFAP-IR) and nerve growth factor immunoreactivity (NGF-IR), as well as findings from light microscopy (LM) and electron microscopy (EM) in these groups. Results: This study observed age-related alterations in rat optic nerves, including increased diameter, irregular axon count fluctuations (both increases and decreases), elevated astrocyte count, and a simultaneous decline in oligodendrocyte count. Additionally, it was observed that NGF-IR was predominantly at the membrane level in newborns and moderately in the cytoplasm, whereas in older ages, it was evident at both cellular and axonal levels furthermore, it was observed that GFAP-IR increased with age. However, in LM and EM examinations, axonal loss and rarefaction, accumulation of osmiophilic substances, splitting of the myelin sheath, vacuolization, axonal retraction were observed. Conclusion: In this study, it was found that one of the causes of age-related vision loss is the advanced degenerative changes in the optic nerve and it was concluded that the remaining small-diameter myelinated nerve fibers may partially compensate for the sense of vision. Our study reveals that age-related degenerative changes in the central nervous system resemble those in multiple sclerosis (MS), suggesting a potential contribution to MS pathogenesis.

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Cite This Article

Anlı, S. Ç., Çalgüner, E., Erdoğan, D., Kadıoğlu, D., Elmas, Ç., Gozil, R., Bahçelioğlu, M. (2024). Morphometric, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural examination of age-related structural alterations in optic nerve. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine, Volume: 7 Issue: 4. https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1486594

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