Background: Neurodegenerative diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy
(DR) and glaucoma, induce retinal neuron loss. Acetylcholine-containing
cholinergic neurons, known as starburst amacrine cells (SACs), play critical
roles in the generation of precise neuronal activity in the retina and are
located in the inner nuclear layer (INL, conventional) and ganglion cell layer
(GCL, displaced). Methods: This study investigated the loss of and
morphological changes in SACs in the retinas of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced
diabetic and insulin-deficient C57BL/6-Tg(pH1-siRNA