Abstract: The aim was to evaluate the expression of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and GFAP in retina of diabetic Wistar rats. Adult male Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally with streptozotocin (STZ) to create diabetes mellitus. In one week, Two weeks and one month after the model was created, the Wistar rats were killed, and the retina was removed for immunhistochemical expression of NT-3 and GFAP in the retina of diabetic rats and normal rats. Compared with control, there was no change in the expression of NT-3 and GFAP of the Wistar rat retina in the groups with diabetes for one and two weeks; in one month group with diabetes, the expression of NT-3 was obviously reduced in the neuroretina and the expression of GFAP obviously increased in the retina. In the early stage of diabetes mellitus for Wistar rats, the retinal nerve cells have had lesion meanwhile the expression of NT-3 is reduced in the retinal nerve cells. The reduce of NT-3 in retina could be responsible for the lesion of retinal nerve cells.

Key words: DM rat, diabetes mellitus neuroretina, neurotrophin, GFAP