Objective To investigate the distribution of erythropoietin (EPO) and erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) expression in the postnatal rat retina development.Methods Forty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 7 groups according to their various postnatal days: postnatal 1 d (D1 group), 3 d (D3 group), 1 week (W1 group), 2 weeks (W2 group), 3 weeks (W3 group), 4 weeks (W4 group) and 8 weeks (W8 group) (n=6). Single eye was randomly chosen from each rat for the study. The retinal sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and used for the retina development observation. Immunohistochemical staining was used to localize EPO and EPOR expressions in retinas of different stages of development, and the expression intensities were determined by an image plus 4 program.Results The retinal inner nuclear layer (INL) and outer nuclear layer (ONL) were mixed together and had not yet fully differentiated in D1 and D3 groups. The INL and ONL formed their own independent regions and the outer plexiform layer (OPL) appeared between two layers in W1 group. With the postnatal retinal development, the inner plexiform layer (IPL), rods and cones layer (RCL), and OPL were gradually widened and stabilized in W2 to W3 groups. EPO/EPOR expressions located prominently in the inner part of the postnatal rat developing retinas. The expression of EPO in GCL and INL gradually increased from D1 to W4, then the expression decreased in W8. Expression of EPOR in GCL gradually increased from D1 to W1, then decreased in W2; and it gradually increased again from W3 to W8. Expression of EPOR in INL gradually increased from D1 to W1, then decreased in W2; and it continued to decrease from W3 to W8. Expression of EPOR in the external segment of RCL gradually increased from D1 to W8. However, expression in the internal segment of RCL gradually decreased from D1 to W3, then no obvious expression was seen in the internal segment of RCL in W4 and W8.Conclusion EPO/EPOR expressions locate prominently in the inner part of the postnatal rat developing retina. And EPO/EPOR expressions in the rat retinas exist the dynamic changes during the postnatal retina development period.