Figure 1. Temporal loss of photoreceptors after light exposure in hematoxylin and eosin–stained retinal cross sections. Graph showing the number of nuclei rows (±standard deviation [SD]) present in the outer nuclear layer (ONL) of six control and six experimental retinas (three right and three left retinas from three animals) at different times after light exposure (ALE) in eight equidistant retinal locations (four dorsal, four ventral). The animals analyzed were chosen randomly from the control and the experimental animals that had been processed to obtain hematoxylin and eosin–stained cross sections. The distance from the optic disc to the retinal location analyzed is shown in the x-axis. Photoreceptor loss was more severe in the dorsal than in the ventral retina. Photoreceptor loss in the dorsal retina was significant at 1 day ALE at all retinal locations (Mann–Whitney test, p<0.001), except at 3.6 mm, where this loss was significant only from 3 days ALE (p<0.001). Photoreceptor loss in the ventral retina was significant at 1 day ALE only at the 0.9 and 1.8 mm locations (p<0.001 and p=0.002, respectively), and at the 2.7 and 3.6 distances, loss was significant from days 3 and 7 ALE, respectively (p<0.001). Photoreceptor loss did not seem to progress from 3 months on (there were no significant differences between the numbers of photoreceptors found 3 or 6 months ALE at any retinal location).