Cytoprotective Effect of Liposomal Puerarin on High Glucose-Induced Injury in Rat Mesangial Cells.

In diabetic patients, high glucose and high oxidative states activate gene expression of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) and further translocate Smad proteins into the nucleus of renal cells. This signal pathway is characterized as the onset of diabetic nephropathy. Puerarin is an active ingredient extracted from Pueraria lobata as an anti-hyperglycemic and anti-oxidative agent. However, the poor oral availability and aqueous solubility limit its pharmaceutical applications. The present paper reports the liposomal puerarin and its protective effect on high glucose-injured rat mesangial cells (RMCs). The purity of puerarin extracted from the root of plant Pueraria lobata was 83.4% as determined by the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The liposomal puerarin was fabricated by membrane hydration followed by ultrasound dispersion and membrane extrusion (pore size of 200 nm). The fabricated liposomes were examined for the loading efficiency and contents of puerarin, the particle characterizations, the radical scavenge and the protective effect in rat mesangial cells, respectively. When the liposomes were subjected to 20 times of membrane extrusion, the particle size of liposomal puerarin can be reduced to less than 200 nm. When liposomal puerarin in RMCs in high glucose concentration (33 mM) was administered, the over-expression of TGF-ß and the nuclear translocation of Smad 2/3 proteins was both inhibited. Therefore, this study successfully prepared the liposomal puerarin and showed the cytoprotective effect in RMCs under high glucose condition.

Investigation of Corneal Astigmatism in Chinese Patients With Primary Angle Closure Disease.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the demographics and distribution of corneal astigmatism before lens extraction in patients with primary angle closure disease (PACD). METHODS: Preoperative partial coherence interferometry was performed in patients with PACD. The demographic and biometric data, including corneal astigmatism and keratometry (K), were recorded. RESULTS: The study comprised 808 cases (1001 eyes) with a mean age of 67.66±9.07 years, and the mean axial length was 22.55±0.89 mm. The mean corneal astigmatism was 1.08±0.78 diopter (D). Corneal astigmatism was between 0.25 D and 1.25 D in 66.50% of the eyes, 1.25 D or higher in 29.68% of the eyes and <0.25 D in 3.82% of the eyes. The corneal astigmatism of primary angle closure suspect (PACS), primary angle closure (PAC) and primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) were 1.08±0.77 D, 0.98±0.62 D, and 0.89±0.69 D, respectively. In total, 50.60% of the eyes were classified as astigmatism against the rule (ATR), 28.69% of the eyes were with the rule, and 20.71% of the eyes were oblique. ATR astigmatism increased significantly with age (P<0.001). After matching, corneal astigmatism of PACD was 1.07±0.77 D, although it was statistically significantly higher than that of ARC (0.98±0.66 D, P=0.018), the 2 demonstrated no clinical difference. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide normative data of corneal astigmatism for PACD patients. Corneal astigmatism was mainly distributed between 0.25 D and 1.25 D. The findings largely concur with published results in age-related cataract subjects.

Prevalence of corneal astigmatism before cataract surgery in Chinese patients.

PURPOSE: To assess the demographics and distribution of corneal astigmatism before cataract surgery in Chinese patients. SETTING: State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. DESIGN: Clinic-based cross-sectional study. METHODS: From July 2009 to May 2011, preoperative bilateral partial coherence interferometry (IOLMaster) was performed in consecutive patients having cataract surgery. Patient demographics and keratometric data were recorded. RESULTS: The mean age of the 2849 patients (4831 eyes) was 70.56 years ± 9.55 (SD); there was a predominance of women patients (64.0%). The mean axial length was 23.58 ± 1.13 mm. The mean corneal astigmatism in this cohort was 1.01 D (range 0.05 to 6.59 D). Corneal astigmatism was between 0.25 D and 1.25 D in 67.7% of eyes, 1.25 D or higher in 27.5% eyes, and less than 0.25 D in 4.8% of eyes. Astigmatism was with the rule in 25.1% of eyes, against the rule (ATR) in 58.2% of eyes, and oblique in 16.7% of eyes. The mean steep keratometry measurement was 44.76 ± 1.56 D. Against-the-rule astigmatism increased significantly with older age. CONCLUSIONS: Corneal astigmatism largely fell between 0.25 D and 1.25 D in these predominantly elderly female Chinese patients, and ATR astigmatism increased with age. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

[A study on axis length measurement of high myopia with cataract].

PURPOSE: To study the accuracy of axis length measurement on high myopia with cataract. METHODS: A/B scan ultrasonography and IOL-master were used to measure the ocular axial length in 168 high myopic eyes with cataract of 103 cases. B-scan ultrasonography was used to examine posterior scleral staphyloma. Refractive results were recorded during the follow-up after operation to evaluate the accuracy of measurement. RESULTS: The rate of posterior scleral staphyloma was 76.19%. The average postoperative error of refractive of all eyes was between -1.0 D and +1.0 D. CONCLUSION: Accurate data of axis length can be obtained by combining results of A-scan, B-scan ultrasonography and IOL-master for high myopia with cataract, especially for patients with posterior scleral staphyloma.

Comparison of the accuracy of Canon KU-1 IOL measurer and VPLUS A/B scanner in axial length measurement.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of Canon KU-1 IOL measurer (Japanese Canon Company) and VPLUS A/B scanner (French Quantel Company) in axial length (AL) measurement. METHODS: Canon KU-1 IOL measurer and VPLUS A/B scanner were used to measure axial length of human cataractous eyes before cataract surgery. Two hundred and twenty-two cases (433 eyes) were involved. The results were compared and the postoperative visual acuity, refractive results were recorded during the follow-ups to evaluate the accuracy of the two instruments. RESULTS: In the 222 cases (433 eyes), the absolute value of the measurement differences was 0.4 mm or above in 35 eyes, 0.8 mm or above in 17 eyes, 1.2 mm or above in 12 eyes, 2.0 mm or above in 5 eyes. The refractive error was less than 2.0 D in all patients. The mean values of ocular axial length by the two methods were 23.82 mm and 23.83 mm respectively and the difference had no statistic significance with compared t test (P = 0.902, two tail, alpha = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The accurate AL measurements can be obtained with the two instruments and the measurement results should be analyzed comprehensively to obtain accurate values in the complicated cases.