Figure 5. Retinal ganglion cell axonal abnormalities after light exposure. Photomontages of representative phosphorylated high molecular weight neurofilament subunit (pNFH) immunostained retinas from one control (A) and three light-exposed animals (B-D) processed 3 (B), 9 (C), and 12 (D) months after light exposure (ALE). The linear trajectory of the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons observed in the control retinas (A) becomes irregular in the retinas processed 3 or more (B-D) months ALE. These axonal abnormalities are more important and severe as the time ALE increases (compare B to D). E-J: Microphotographs of the optic nerve fiber layer in whole mount preparations of the retinas of one control animal (E) and five experimental animals processed 9 (F, G, H) or 12 (I, J) months ALE. In the experimental animals, axonal compressions by retinal vessels (F, H-J), axonal bulbs and meandering axons (arrowheads, H-J) and pNFH⁺ RGC somas (arrows, F-H) are observed. The scale bar represents 50 µm.