Objective To observe the effects of dual targets intervention on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in diabetic rat retina. Methods Forty-eight Sprague -Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group (CON1 group) and diabetes mellitus group (DM group). The rats of DM group were induced with streptozotocin injection creating a diabetic model. Retinas were obtained at eight, 10, 12 weeks after DM induction from both groups. CTGF and VEGF mRNA levels were examined by realtime reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Based on the results of above experiments, 60 rats with same conditions were selected. Fifty rats were induced with streptozotocin injection creating a diabetic model, and 10 rats comprised the control group (CON2 group). Then the 50 diabetic rats were randomly divided into ranibizumab and CTGF shRNA dual targets intervention group, ranibizumab singletarget intervention group, CTGF shRNA singletarget intervention group and nonintervention group. Retinas were obtained at one week after intervention from all the groups. CTGF and VEGF mRNA levels were examined by RT-PCR. Results The levels of CTGF mRNA were significantly higher in DM group than that in CON1 group at the 8th weeks after DM induction, and this upregulation was maintained through the 12th week (t=-2.49, -2.67, -2.42;P＜0.05). There was no difference on VEGF mRNA levels between DM group and CON1 group at the 8th weeks after DM induction(t=-0.443,P=0.669). VEGF mRNA levels of DM group started to be significantly elevated over those in the CON1 group at the 10th week, and remained to be higher at the 12th week (t=-2.35, -2.57;P＜0.05). The VEGF mRNA of ranibizumab single-target intervention group was significantly lower than that in non-intervention group (t=-3.44,P=0.014), which was similar to CON2 group (t=-1.37,P＞0.05); however, the CTGF mRNA level was significantly increased as compared to the nonintervention group (t=2.48,P＜0.05). In the CTGF shRNA single-target intervention group, the levels of CTGF and VEGF mRNA were decreased as compared to the non-intervention group (t=0.23, -2.92;P＜0.05). In the ranibizumab and CTGF shRNA dual targets intervention group, the levels of CTGF and VEGF mRNA were decreased as compared to the non-intervention group (t=-6.09, -5.11;P＜0.001), which was similar to CON2 group (t=-1.16, 1.139; P＞0.05). Conclusions Both CTGF and VEGF gene expression are up-regulated in early diabetic rat retina, and the level of CTGF increased earlier than VEGF. Ranibizumab combined with CTGF shRNA could simultaneously reduce the level of CTGF and VEGF mRNA in diabetic rat retina.