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AIM: To evaluate the characteristics of choriocapillary blood flow in different patients with diabetic retinopathy(DR)based on the measurement of choriocapillaris(CC)perfusion density(PFD)using ultra-high-speed swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography(SS-OCTA)METHODS: The cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 139 cases(139 eyes)who admitted to the Second People's Hospital of Hefei, including 115 DR cases(115 eyes)and 24 control cases(24 eyes). The color retinal images were graded according to the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study(ETDRS)scale, and the DR eyes were classified into non-DR group, nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR)group, NPDR combined with diabetic macular edema(DME)group and proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR)group. The ultra-high-speed SS-OCTA was used to scan a 3mm×3mm region centered on the macular central fovea, the CC perfusion area was measured by the built-in software, and PFD was calculated. Multivariable linear regressions were used to evaluate the correlation between PFD of CC and DR degree.RESULTS: The degree of DR had a correlation with blood perfusion of CC after adjusting for various confounding factors. When compared to the control group, the PFD of CC in the central fovea of the NPDR group decreased by 9.358 units(95%CI -18.484～-0.232, P=0.045)and 9.284 units in the paracentral fovea(95%CI -18.487～-0.090, P=0.048); In the NPDR combined with DME group, the central fovea CC PFD decreased by 18.173 units(95%CI -28.583～-7.762, P=0.001), while the paracentral fovea decreased by 17.032 units(95%CI -27.521～-6.544, P=0.002); In the PDR group, the central fovea CC PFD decreased by 28.309 units(95%CI -39.978～-16.640, P<0.001), while the paracentral fovea decreased by 25.841 units(95%CI -37.597～-14.085, P<0.001).CONCLUSION: The macular perfusion can be objectively quantified by the measurement of CC PFD with ultra-high-speed SS-OCTA. The CC PFD in the macular region was significantly reduced in more advanced stages of DR. Furthermore, future research should focus on longitudinal studies in the causal relationship between CC perfusion and DR progression.
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AIM: To investigate the changes in retinal and choroidal blood flow after pars plana vitrectomy(PPV)for proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR).METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 35 patients(35 eyes)who were diagnosed as monocular PDR and received 23GPPV in ophthalmology department of the Second People's Hospital of Hefei between September 2020 and July 2022. All eyes underwent swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography(SS-OCTA)examination. Retinal and choroidal vascular parameters within 3mm×3mm of macular zone were measured by built-in analyzer, and its correlation with postoperative best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)was analyzed.RESULTS: The follow-up was 1～22(average 9.72±6.67)mo. At the last follow-up, flow area(FA)of intermediate capillary plexus(ICP)layer in paranasal foveal region was significantly reduced in PPV eyes(0.31±0.06mm2)compared with contralateral eyes(0.38±0.05mm2), and FA of deep capillary plexus(DCP)in temporal foveal region was significantly lower in PPV eyes(0.19±0.08mm2)than contralateral eyes(0.27±0.07mm2; all P<0.05). Choroidal vascularity index(CVI)were lower in PPV eyes than contralateral eyes in parafoveal subregions except temporal region(P<0.05). After PPV, BCVA had a certain correlation with the density and FA of middle and deep retinal vessels.CONCLUSIONS: Eyes with severe PDR may be prone to having a decrease in the DCP and parafoveal choroidal perfusion in the parafoveal regions after PPV than contralateral eyes.
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AIM:To compare the choroidal parameters in children and adolescents with different refractive status, and to investigate the associations between ocular biometrics and choroidal parameters.METHODS:A cross sectional study. A total of 121 healthy children and adolescents(121 right eyes)aged 3-18 years treated in the Second People's Hospital of Hefei were collected. The data were divided into three groups according to spherical equivalent refraction(SER): emmetropia(-0.50<SER≤+1.75D), low myopia(-3.00<SER≤-0.50D)and moderate-to-high myopia(SER≤-3.00D). Ocular biometrics were measured by using the IOL Master. Data of the choroidal structures extracted from a 6mm sub-macular region centered on the fovea, including choroidal thickness(CT), the total choroidal area(TCA), luminal area(LA), stromal area(SA)and choroidal vascularity index(CVI)were determined by image binarization of the enhanced depth imaging-optical coherence tomography(EDI-OCT). Comparing all biology parameters among the three groups, associations among demographic factors, ocular parameters, and choroidal structures were evaluated by using multiple linear regression analysis.RESULTS:TCA, LA, SA and CT were all different among the three groups before age correction(all P<0.001), and CVI was not different(P >0.05). TCA, LA, SA, CT and CVI were found to be statistically different among the three groups after age correction(all P<0.001), and there were differences in pairwise comparisons of TCA, LA, SA and CT among the three groups(all P<0.001), which were the highest in emmetropic eyes and lowest in moderate-to-high myopic eyes, However, the CVI in pairwise comparisons among the three groups showed that only the moderate-to-high myopia group was significantly lower than the emmetropic group(P=0.014). Multiple regression analysis showed that the LA was significantly associated with SER(P=0.020), whereas CT were significantly associated with the axial length(AL)(P=0.028).CONCLUSIONS: The choroidal LA and CVI tend to decrease in children and adolescents with higher myopia, indicating that the decrease of sub-foveal choroidal blood flow may be related to the progression of myopia.
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AIM:To explore the association of the mutation in PPP2R3A exons and retinoblastoma.METHODS:Hospital-based case control study was taken.Retinoblastoma patients (15 cases, as case group) and matched controls (30 controls, as control group) were recruited in this study.Genomic DNA obtained from formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) and peripheral blood were used as template.PPP2R3A gene exon sequences were detected by PCR-sequencing.Homology analysis was performed using blastn in GenBank.RESULTS:Analyzing PPP2R3A DNA sequences (1001bp) from 15 cases, two reported SNPs had been detected, including rs34629706 and rs144802055.Rs34629706 also occurred in the control group.Rs144802055 appeared only in the case group.CONCLUSION:PPP2R3A gene SNPs of rs34629706 is unrelated to the incidence of retinoblastoma.Relations between rs144802055 and RB needs to be further explored.
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AIM:To study the KIF21A gene mutation in a Han family with concomitant exotropia. ·METHODS: The genomic DNA of five family members was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes and amplified with PCR. The PCR products were purified for DNA sequencing. DNA sequences were aligned with the human KIF21A gene sequences registered in GenBank. · RESULTS: Mutation analysis of all exons of the pedigree's KIF21A gene reveals no gene mutation in any of the families. ·CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that the KIF21A gene maybe is not virulence gene in this pedigree.
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<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Activation of glial cells and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway play an important role in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Curcumin can alleviate the symptom of inflammatory pain by inhibiting the production and release of interleukin and tumor necrosis factor. However, whether curcumin affects neuropathic pain induced by nerve injury and the possible mechanism involved are still unknown. This study investigated the effects of tolerable doses of curcumin on the activation of astrocytes and ERK signaling in the spinal dorsal horn in rat model of neuropathic pain.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: a control (sham operated) group, and chronic constriction injury groups (to induce neuropathic pain) that were either untreated or treated with curcumin. Thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia thresholds were measured. The distribution and morphological changes of astrocytes were observed by immunofluorescence. Western blotting was used to detect changes in the expression of glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) and phosphorylated ERK.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Injured rats showed obvious mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. The number of GFAP-positive astrocytes, and the fluorescence intensity of GFAP were significantly increased in the spinal dorsal horn of injured compared with control rats. The soma of astrocytes also appeared hypertrophied in injured animals. Expression of GFAP and phosphorylated ERK was also significantly increased in the spinal dorsal horn of injured compared with control rats. Curcumin reduced the injury-induced thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia, the increase in the fluorescence intensity of GFAP and the hypertrophy of astrocytic soma, activation of GFAP and phosphorylation of ERK in the spinal dorsal horn.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Curcumin can markedly alleviate nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain in rats. The analgesic effect of curcumin may be attributed to its inhibition of astrocyte hypertrophy in the spinal dorsal horn and phosphorylation of the ERK signaling pathway.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Analgesics , Therapeutic Uses , Astrocytes , Blotting, Western , Constriction, Pathologic , Metabolism , Curcumin , Therapeutic Uses , Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases , Metabolism , Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein , Metabolism , Hyperalgesia , Metabolism , Neuralgia , Drug Therapy , Phosphorylation , Random Allocation , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Signal TransductionABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Parvalbumin (PV), as a mobile endogenous calcium buffer, plays an important role in affecting temporospatial characteristics of calcium transients and in modulating calcium homeostasis. PV is expressed in neurons in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and spinal dorsal horn and may be involved in synaptic transmission through regulating cytoplasm calcium concentrations. But the exact role of PV in peripheral sensory neurons remains unknown. Microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2), belonging to structural microtubule-associated protein family, is especially vulnerable to acute central nervous system (CNS) injury, and there will be rapid loss of MAP-2 at the injury site. The present study investigated the changes of PV expressing neurons and the MAP-2 neurons in the DRG after an operation for chronic constriction injury to the unilateral sciatic nerve (CCI-SN), in order to demonstrate the possible roles of PV and MAP-2 in transmission and modulation of peripheral nociceptive information.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy-two adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, weighing 180 - 220 g, were randomly divided into two groups (36 rats in each group), the sham operation group and chronic constriction injury (CCI) group. Six rats in each group were randomly selected to receive mechanical and thermal sensitivity tests at one day before operation and 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days after surgery. After pain behavioral test, ipsilateral lumbar fifth DRGs were removed and double immunofluorescence staining was performed to assess the expression changes of PV and of MAP2 expressing neurons in the L5 DRG before or after surgery.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The animals with CCI-SN showed obvious mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia (P < 0.05). Both the thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia decreased to their lowest degree at 7 days after surgery compared to the baseline before surgery (P < 0.01). In normal rats before surgery, a large number of neurons were MAP-2 single labeled cells, and just a small number of PV-expressed neurons were found. PV-positive neurons, PV-positive nerve fibers and PV-negative neurons, formed a direct or close contact for cross-talk. We used immunocytochemical staining to quantify the time course of changes to PV and MAP-2 expressing neurons in tissue, and found that the number of PV expressing neurons began to slightly decrease at 3 days after surgery, and had a significant reduction at CCI day 5, day 7 (P < 0.05). But MAP-2 neurons significantly decreased on just the 3rd day after CCI (P < 0.05). No changes in PV and MAP-2 expression were almost found in sham operated rats. The number of PV positive neurons, was positively correlated with the hyperalgesia threshold.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>A sharp decline in MAP-2 neurons may be the early response to surgical injury, and PV positive neurons were much more effective at affecting the changes of pain behaviors, indicating that the down-regulation of PV protein could participate in, at least in part, the modulation of nociceptive transmission.</p>