Effect of berberine on lipopolysaccharide-induced monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and interleukin-8 expression in a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line.

PURPOSE: In this study, we elucidated the effects of berberine, a major alkaloid component contained in medicinal herbs, such as Phellodendri Cortex and Coptidis Rhizoma, on expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line (ARPE-19) caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. METHODS: ARPE-19 cells were cultured to confluence. Berberine and LPS were added to the medium. MCP-1 and IL-8 mRNA were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. MCP-1 and IL-8 protein concentrations in the media were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: After stimulation with LPS, MCP-1 and IL-8 mRNA in ARPE-19 cells reached maximum levels at 3 h, and MCP-1 and IL-8 protein in the culture media reached maximum levels at 24 h. Berberine dose-dependently inhibited MCP-1 and IL-8 mRNA expression of the cells and protein levels in the media stimulated with LPS. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that berberine inhibited the expression of MCP-1 and IL-8 induced by LPS.

Predictive factors for postoperative visual function of primary chronic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after scleral buckling.

AIM: To evaluate predictive factors for postoperative visual function of primary chronic rhegmatgenous retinal detachment (RRD) after sclera buckling (SB). METHODS: Totally 48 patients (51 eyes) with primary chronic RRD were included in this prospective interventional clinical cases study, which underwent SB alone from June 2008 to December 2014. Age, sex, symptoms duration, detached extension, retinal hole position, size, type, fovea on/off, proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), baseline best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), operative duration, follow up duration, final BCVA were measured. Pearson correlation analysis, Spearman correlation analysis and multivariate linear stepwise regression were used to confirm predictive factors for better final visual acuity. Student's t-test, Wilcoxon two-sample test, Chi-square test and logistic stepwise regression were used to confirm predictive factors for better vision improvement. RESULTS: Baseline BCVA was 0.8313±0.6911 logMAR and final BCVA was 0.4761±0.4956 logMAR. Primary surgical success rate was 92.16% (47/51). Correlation analyses revealed shorter symptoms duration (r=0.3850, P=0.0053), less detached area (r=0.5489, P<0.0001), fovea (r=0.4605, P=0.0007), no PVR (r=0.3138, P=0.0250), better baseline BCVA (r=0.7291, P<0.0001), shorter operative duration (r=0.3233, P=0.0207) and longer follow up (r=-0.3358, P=0.0160) were related with better final BCVA, while independent predictive factors were better baseline BCVA [partial R-square (PR(2))=0.5316, P<0.0001], shorter symptoms duration (PR(2)=0.0609, P=0.0101), longer follow up duration (PR(2)=0.0278, P=0.0477) and shorter operative duration (PR(2)=0.0338, P=0.0350). Patients with vision improvement took up 49.02% (25/51). Univariate and multivariate analyses both revealed predictive factors for better vision improvement were better baseline vision [odds ratio (OR) =50.369, P=0.0041] and longer follow up duration (OR=1.144, P=0.0067). CONCLUSION: Independent predictive factors for better visual outcome of primary chronic RRD after SB are better baseline BCVA, shorter symptoms duration, shorter operative duration and longer follow up duration, while independent predictive factors for better vision improvement after operation are better baseline vision and longer follow up duration.

Changes in vitreous VEGF, bFGF and fibrosis in proliferative diabetic retinopathy after intravitreal bevacizumab.

AIM: To evaluate the relationship between intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) treatment and the levels of vitreous vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vitreous-retina surface fibrosis in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). METHODS: This study was a prospective, open-label, controlled, randomized clinical trial. Sixty-eight eyes of PDR patients (n=53) and macular hole patients (n=15) were enrolled in this study. Thirty-four eyes of the PDR patients received IVB before vitrectomy. Twenty-three of the 34 PDR patients received IVB treatment 5d before vitrectomy (subgroup a), and 11 of the 34 PDR patients received IVB treatment greater than 2wk prior to vitrectomy (subgroup b). Nineteen of the PDR patients did not receive IVB treatment at any time prior to vitrectomy. The levels of bFGF and VEGF in vitreous samples were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the degree of vitreoretinal fibrosis was characterized using clinical data and data obtained intra-operatively. RESULTS: In PDR patients, VEGF and bFGF levels were significantly increased compared to non-PDR (control) subject's eyes (P<0.01). In PDR patients, vitreous VEGF levels were significantly decreased following IVB treatment compared to PDR patients that did not receive IVB treatment (P<0.01). The degree of vitreoretinal fibrosis was significantly increased in subgroup b compared to subgroup a(P<0.05) and to patients that did not receive IVB (P<0.05). Vitreous bFGF levels were significantly greater in subgroup b than subgroup a (P<0.01) or in patients who did not receive IVB treatment (P<0.05). A Spearman's rank correlation test indicated that higher levels of vitreous bFGF, but not VEGF, correlated with the degree of vitreoretinal fibrosis. CONCLUSION: We found that bFGF levels increase in PDR patient's vitreous after IVB treatment longer than two weeks prior to vitrectomy and correlated with the degree of fibrosis after IVB treatment. These findings suggest vitreous fibrosis is increased in PDR patients after IVB treatment may be due to increased levels of bFGF.

[Optical coherence tomography predictive factors for idiopathic macular hole surgery outcome].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of preoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) image and some related indexes as predictive factors for the visual outcomes of the idiopathic macular hole (IMH) after pars plana vitrectomy and the internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling surgery. METHODS: This was a case-series study. Twenty-five eyes of 23 IMH patients undergoing a successful vitrectomy and ILM peeling surgery and following up more than 6 months were included in this retrospective study. Of the 23 patients, 6 were male and 17 were female. The median patient age was 67-year old (range 63 to 71 years). The median duration of IMH was 6 months (range 3.5 to 12.0 months).In the patients, the macular hole was found in 9 eyes at stage II, 11 eyes at stage III, and 5 eyes at stage IV. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were examined before and after the surgery. The minimum diameter (a) , the height (b) and the base diameter (c) of macular holes were measured by OCT. According to the indexes, macular hole index (MHI, b/c) , tractional hole index (THI, b/a) , diameter hole index (DHI, a/c) were calculated, respectively. Spearman rank correlation analysis was performed to understand the correlations between postoperative BCVA and the related indexes. Cut-off values were obtained for MHI and THI, respectively, from receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: The median preoperative BCVA was 0.100(range 0.050 to 0.180). The median MHI, THI and DHI was 0.476(range 0.416 to 0.684), 1.048(range 0.761 to 1.346) and 0.536(range 0.431 to 0.645), respectively. The median 3-month postoperative BCVA was 0.150 (range 0.120 to 0.275), markedly improved after surgery (Mann-Whitney U test:P = 0.002) . The median latest postoperative BCVA was 0.250 (range 0.135 to 0.350), also markedly improved (Mann-Whitney U test, P = 0.002) . MHI, THI and preoperative BCVA correlated significantly with postoperative BCVA by Spearman rank correlation analysis (rMHI = 0.481, P = 0.015; rTHI= 0.516, P = 0.008; preoperative BCVA = 0.560, P = 0.004, respectively). Areas under the curve of 0.740 and 0.760 for MHI and THI were obtained respectively. Cut-off values of 0.475 and 0.973 were obtained for MHI and THI, respectively, from ROC curve analysis. Postoperative BCVAs in the MHI ≥ 0.475 group and in the THI ≥ 0.973 group was better than that in the MHI < 0.475 and in the THI < 0.973 group, respectively (Mann-Whitney U test:P MHI = 0.013, P THI = 0.008) . CONCLUSION: An MHI ≥ 0.475 or a THI ≥ 0.973 may be predictive factors for a good visual prognosis after IMH surgery.