Differences in Retinal Structure and Function between Aging Male and Female Sprague-Dawley Rats are Strongly Influenced by the Estrus Cycle

摘要

Age and biological sex are two of the most important regulator of our day-to-day body functions, including retinal function. The influence of biological sex on the human retinal function, as determined with the electroretinogram (ERG), has been known for more than 60 years. Electroretinograms are usually reported to be of larger amplitudes in women compared to men. In a recent study, the amplitudes of scotopic and photopic ERGs of female subjects were reported to be on average 29% larger than their male counterparts. From the structural point of view, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) did reveal sex-related differences in the mean thickness of the retinal layers at the macula. It showed that the Outer Nuclear Layer (ONL), the Outer Plexiform Layer (OPL) and the Inner Nuclear Layer (INL) were thicker in men, while the Nerve Fiber Layer (NFL) was thicker in women. [...]