Brain-derived neurotrophic factor inhibits changes in soma-size of retinal ganglion cells following optic nerve axotomy in rats

To determine if optic nerve axotomy affects the cell soma size of retinal ganglion cells and to establish whether such quantitative analysis is useful as a new way of evaluating retinal ganglion cell damage, we measured the changes in both the number and soma size of retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve axotomy in rats. Retinal ganglion cells were retrogradely labeled by fluoro-gold injection into the superior colliculus, and the soma size was measured using image-analysis software. We detected a decrease in the proportion of large-sized retinal ganglion cells that was significant at 3, 5 and 7 days after the axotomy, and an increased proportion of small-sized ones that was significant at 5 and 7 days after the axotomy, indicating that retinal ganglion cells shrank following axotomy, that there was a shift away from the largest category of retinal ganglion cells towards the smallest category. On days 3 and 5 post-axotomy, there was no significant change in the proportion of medium-sized retinal ganglion cells. Intravitreal injection of brain-derived neurotrophic factor one hour before the axotomy significant inhibited the increase in the proportion of small-sized retinal ganglion cells otherwise seen at 3 days after the axotomy. These results may suggest that larger retinal ganglion cells are more sensitive to optic nerve axotomy than small- and medium-sized ones, and that a quantitative analysis of soma size is a useful way of detecting retinal ganglion cell damage in the early phase after axotomy.