[Protective effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor on injured retinal ganglion cells of rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate in vivo the survival of retinal ganglion cells(RGC) after optic nerve crush with intraocular injection of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).


METHODS
Sprague-Dawly(SD) rats were divided into normal control, crush control, medium treatment and BDNF treatment group, and every group had 20 eyes. RGC of adult rats were labeled with fluorogold. Seven days later, the optic nerve was intraorbitally crushed and BDNF was injected into the vitreous. Five, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after crush, the numbers of RGC were counted.


RESULTS
The densities of RGC began to decrease 7 days after injury, the number of RGC was 70.2% and 40.5% of normal controls on days 14 and 28, respectively. In the group with BDNF injection, RGC densities decreased on days 7, but RGC densities were much higher than that of controls on 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after injury (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
BDNF administered intraocularly at the time of crush can protect RGC from injury and cell death.
Huang
W
W
Department of Ophthalmology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710033, China.
Wang
L
L
Hui
Y
Y
Zhang
M
M
D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death; D008297:Male; D009409:Nerve Crush; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020221:Optic Nerve Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents