The Bovine Ex Vivo Retina: A Versatile Model for Retinal Neuroscience

PURPOSE: The isolated ex vivo retina is the standard model in retinal physiology and neuroscience. During isolation, the retina is peeled from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which plays a key role in the visual cycle. Here we introduce the choroid-attached bovine retina as an in vivo–like model for retinal physiology. We find that—in the bovine eye—the choroid and retina can be peeled from the sclera as a single thin sheet. Importantly, the retina remains tightly associated with the RPE, which is sandwiched between the retina and the choroid. Furthermore, bovine tissue is readily available and cheap, and there are no ethical concerns related to the use of animals solely for research purposes. METHODS: We combine multi-electrode array and single-cell patch-clamp recordings to characterize light responses in the choroid-attached bovine ex vivo retina. RESULTS: We demonstrate robust and consistent light responses in choroid-attached preparations. Importantly, light responses adapt to different levels of background illumination and rapidly recover from photobleaching. The choroid-attached retina is also thin enough to permit targeted electrophysiological recording from individual retinal neurons using standard differential interference contrast microscopy. We also characterize light responses and membrane properties of bovine retinal ganglion cells and compare data obtained from bovine and murine retinas. CONCLUSIONS: The choroid-attached retinal model retains the advantages of the isolated retina but with an intact visual cycle and represents a useful tool to elucidate retinal physiology.