Objective RIP family includes a group of Ser/Thr kinases that modulate cell death as essential sensors to various cellular stresses.Receptor-interacting protein 3 (RIP3), a member of the RIP family, has been found to induce necroptosis (programmed necrosis).Till now, studies in RIP3 were focus on its biology functions and general distribution in peripheral tissues.However, nothing has been known about which cell types express RIP3 in normal adult rat retina, which is the important animal model in neuroscience research.Therefore, our purpose is to identify the cellular localization of RIP3 in rat retina.Methods The profile expression of RIP3 in rat retina was detected by immunohistochemistry, the double labeling between RIP3 and retina cell markers were identified by immunofluorescence staining, then laser con-focal microscopy (Nikon CZ-01) were performed to analyze the presence of double-fluorescent label in all types of retina cell.Results (1) The immunohistochemistry shows RIP3 express in nerve fiber layer (NFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL) and inner nuclear layer (INL) in normal rat retina; (2) The double labeling of RIP3 and NeuN (ganglion cell specific marker), Parvalbumin (amacrines cell specific marker), Calbindin (horizontal cell specific marker) suggests a preferential localization of RIP3 in ganglion cell, amacrines cell and horizontal cell; (3) The double labeling of RIP3 and GS (Müller cell specific marker), GFAP (microglial cell specific marker), CD1 lb (macroglial cell specific marker) indicates a localization of RIP3 in Müller cell, microglial cell and marcoglial cell in the NFL, GCL and INL; (4) There is no distinctly double staining between RIP3 and PKC-α (bipolar cell specific marker), Rhodopsin (rod and cone cell specific marker), which suggests RIP3 does not express in bipolar cell and rod and cone cell.Conclusion RIP3 is expressed in NFL, GCL and INL, furthermore, it has present in amacrine cells, horizontal cells, ganglion cells, Müller cells, macroglial cells and microglial cells.