Figure 6. Retinal ganglion cell axons are compressed by displaced retinal vessels Representative retinal cross-sections from a control (A-C) and a photoexposed animal processed 12 months after light exposure (ALE; D-F) doubly immunoreacted to detect retinal vessels (red signal, A and D) and neurofilaments (green signal, B and E). In C and F are shown the corresponding coupled images and 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) counterstaining. In control retinas, DAPI staining shows the typical layered structure of the retina, where retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons run parallel to the retinal layers (B), above the RGC nuclei (C). ALE, however, the outer nuclear layer (ONL) has disappeared, DAPI positive nuclei are observed crossing vertically the inner plexiform layer (IPL; F) and the RGC axons are interrupted and dragged down (E, arrow) by retinal vessels vertically crossing the retina (D, arrowhead). The scale bar represents 100 µm.