Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is one of the severe complications of diabetes, which could lead to severe visual impairment. Retinal ganglion cell(RGC)apoptosis has been confirmed both in vivo and in vitro prior to the definite micro-vascular damages. RGC impairment contributes to an early deterioration of vision. Hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, neuron growth factor deficiency and glutamate excitotoxicity were found to be involved in retinal ganglion cell apoptosis. Some neuron protective agents have been showed to prevent the apoptosis of RGC in experimental diabetic retinopathy. Clinical evidences about effectiveness and security also suggested potential treatments for the diabetic retinal neuron.