Electroretinograms of albino and pigmented guinea-pigs (Cavia porcellus)

Abstract

Purpose/methods: The present study compares the electroretinogram responses of albino and pigmented guinea-pigs (Cavia porcellus) with data published for the rat and mouse.

Results: We found that albino guinea-pigs gave significantly larger amplitudes and faster implicit times for a-wave and peak-to-peak responses than did pigmented animals. In contrast, pigmented and albino rats and mice do not show such differences between strains.

Conclusion: We suggest that the guinea-pig may be a better model of the retinal response in human albinism as their response characteristics are consistent with those published for humans.