The usefulness of the "double-needle" technique for combined cataract extraction and corneal transplantation.

The authors report using double-needle cataract extraction in the course of triple surgery and describe the usefulness of a double-needle technique. Before penetrating preparation of the recipient cornea, two straight double-arm 10-0 Prolene needles (Ethicon, Edinburgh, Scotland) were inserted in parallel on the recipient corneal bed transcorneally immediately anterior to the iris. The use of two needles stabilized the iris plane and offset positive vitreous pressure during triple surgery, continuous curvilinear capsulorrhexis, phacoemulsification, irrigation, and aspiration, allowing the safe implantation of an intraocular lens in the bag in an open-sky state. There were no procedural difficulties and no complications. This simple technique using double needles in triple surgery can be used effectively and may prevent forward movement of the lens-iris diaphragm, anterior capsular tearing, and rapid expulsion of the lens caused by positive vitreous pressure in the open-sky state.

Successful treatment of superficial corneal irregularity by lamellar keratectomy using the femtosecond laser.

The authors report successful vision restoration after cataract surgery using a femtosecond laser in a patient with superficial corneal irregularity. A 62-year-old man with corneal irregularity and a cataract in the left eye was referred for treatment. The superficial corneal opacity causing the irregularity was mainly located within the superficial anterior cornea. To acquire a stable keratometric value, which is important for accurate calculation of intraocular lens power, lamellar keratectomy using a femtosecond laser (IntraLase; AMO, Irvine, CA) was performed to smooth the cornea surface. Postoperatively, corneal smoothness was restored and a stable keratometric value was acquired. Vision was improved with the expected refraction after cataract surgery. The femtosecond laser may be an effective surgical tool for patients with superficial corneal irregularity and cataracts.

Immunohistochemical study on the distribution of canonical transient receptor potential channels in rat basal ganglia.

In the present study, we examined the localizations of canonical transient receptor potential channels (TRPCs) in rat basal ganglia. The dot-like staining pattern of TRPC5 was observed through the globus pallidus (GP) and caudate-putamen. TRPC7 had a strikingly high level of expression in the neuropil in the GP. In the subthalamic nucleus, strong staining for TRPC5 was observed in the cell bodies, while moderate to high immunoreactivies for TRPC1, TRPC3, TRPC4 and TRPC7 were found in the cell bodies and surrounding neuropil. In the substantia nigra, immunoreactivities for TRPC3 and TRPC7 were prominent in the cell bodies and several processes in the pars compacta and pars reticulata. TRPC6 was expressed in the neuropil, not in the cell bodies. This study may provide useful data for the future investigations on the structural and functional properties of TRPCs.