Dopaminergic cells retina

Studies (mainly in vitro) illustrate that BDNF promotes the survival of embryonic retina ganglion cells, dopaminergic neurons, as well as cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain, embryonic spinal motor neurons and cortical neurons. 

Fig. 4 A TH labeled (dopaminergic) amacrine cell of the rat retina. Note that the receptor layer is on the top and the faintly visible ganglion cell layer is on the bottom (from Mytileneou and Bodis-WoUner, Department of Neurology, The Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, around 1978 unpublished data)...

Dopaminergic amacrine cells with widespread dendritic arborizations increase release of dopamine in response to increases in global illumination. Dopamine diffuses throughout the retina to influence cells as far away as the RPE. The increased release of dopamine by light modifies cell function to opdmize retinal responses in daylight (Witkovsky, 2004). 

Retinal pigmental epithelia (RPE) are dopaminergic support cells in the neural retina. RPE cells on gelatin beads, also called Spheramine, produce levodopa (Watts et al., 2003), but there are no data yet on the consistency of dopamine production by these cells. An open label clinical trial of transplantation of Spheramine was conducted in six patients with PD (Bakay et al., 2004). Spheramine was transplanted into the striatum and show ed clinical effects over 24 months. Spheramine is now undergoing double bhnd placebo controlled trials in advanced PD. 

Voigt T, Wassle H. Dopaminergic innervation of All amacrine cells in mammalian retina. J Neurosci 1987 7 4115-4128. 

He S, Weiler R, Vaney Dl. Endogenous dopaminergic regulation of horizontal cell coupling in the mammalian retina. J Comp Neurol 2000 418 33-40. 

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