A short-term blockade of the
vascular endothelial growth factor (
VEGF)-mediated pathway in neonatal rats results in formation of severe
retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)-like retinal blood vessels. The present study aimed to examine the role of retinal neurons in the formation of abnormal retinal blood vessels. Newborn rats were treated subcutaneously with the
VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor,
KRN633 (10 mg/kg), or its vehicle (0.5%
methylcellulose in water) on postnatal day (P) 7 and P8. To induce excitotoxic loss of retinal neurons,
N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (
NMDA) was injected into the vitreous chamber of the eye on P9. Changes in
retinal morphology, blood vessels, and proliferative status of vascular cells were evaluated on P11 and P14. The number of cells in the
ganglion cell layer and the thickness of the inner plexiform layer and inner nuclear layer were significantly decreased 2 days (P11) after
NMDA treatment. The pattern and degree of
NMDA-induced changes in
retinal morphology were similar between vehicle-treated (control) and KRN633-treated (ROP) rats. In ROP rats, increases in the density of capillaries, the tortuosity index of arteries, and the proliferating vascular cells were observed on P14. The expansion of the endothelial cell network was prevented, and the capillary density and the number of proliferating cells were reduced in
NMDA-treated retinas of both control and ROP rats. Following
NMDA-induced neuronal cell loss, no ROP-like blood vessels were observed in the retinas. These results suggest that retinal neurons play an important role in the formation of normal and ROP-like retinal blood vessels.