Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates many aspects of neuronal development, including survival, axonal and dendritic growth and synapse formation. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the functional significance of BDNF in retinal development, the retinal cell types expressing BDNF remains poorly defined. The goal of the present study was to determine the localization of BDNF in the mammalian retina, with special focus on the subtypes of amacrine cells, and to characterize, at the cellular level, the effects of constant light exposure during early postnatal period on retinal expression of BDNF. Retinas from 3-week-old rats reared in a normal light cycle or constant light were subjected to double immunofluorescence staining using antibodies to BDNF and retinal cell markers. BDNF immunoreactivity was localized to ganglion cells, cholinergic amacrine cells and dopaminergic amacrine cells, but not to AII amacrine cells regardless of rearing conditions. Approximately 75% of BDNF-positive cells in the inner nuclear layer were cholinergic amacrine cells in animals reared in a normal lighting condition. While BDNF immunoreactivity in ganglion cells and cholinergic amacrine cells was significantly increased by constant light rearing, which in dopaminergic amacrine cells was apparently unaltered. The overall structure of the retina and the density of ganglion cells, cholinergic amacrine cells and AII amacrine cells were unaffected by rearing conditions, whereas the density of dopaminergic amacrine cells was significantly increased by constant light rearing. The present results indicate that cholinergic amacrine cells are the primary source of BDNF in the inner nuclear layer of the rat retina and provide the first evidence that cholinergic amacrine cells may be involved in the visual activity-dependent regulation of retinal development through the production of BDNF. The present data also suggest that the production or survival of dopaminergic amacrine cells is regulated by early visual experience.
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