Treatment in vitro of retinal cells with IL-4 increases the survival of retinal ganglion cells: the involvement of BDNF.

Interleukin 4 (IL-4) is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in many functions during the development as well as in adult life. Previous work from our group demonstrated, in vitro, that this interleukin is able to prevent rat retinal ganglion cells death after axotomy. The aim of the present study was to investigate the signaling pathways involved in this trophic effect, particularly the cAMP pathway and also to demonstrate the expression of IL-4 in retinas at different stages of post natal development.