Heparanase-1 is downregulated in chemoradiotherapy orbital rhabdomyosarcoma and relates with tumor growth as well as angiogenesis.

AIM: To determine the role of heparanase-1 (HPSE-1) in orbital rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), and to investigate the feasibility of HPSE-1 targeted therapy for RMS. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze HPSE-1 expression in 51 cases of orbital RMS patients (including 28 cases of embryonal RMS and 23 cases of alveolar RMS), among whom there were 27 treated and 24 untreated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy. In vitro, studies were conducted to examine the effect of HPSE-1 silencing on RMS cell proliferation and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). RD cells (an RMS cell line) and HUVECs were infected with HPSE-1 shRNA lentivirus at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 10 and 30 separately. Real-time PCR and Western blot were applied to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of HPSE-1. Cell viability of treated or control RD cells was evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Matrigel tube formation assay was used to evaluate the effect of HPSE-1 RNAi on the tube formation of HUVECs. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression rate of HPSE-1 protein was 92.9% in orbital embryonal RMS and 91.3% in orbital alveolar RMS. Tissue from alveolar orbital RMS did not show relatively stronger staining than that from the embryonal orbital RMS. However, despite the types of RMS, comparing the cases treated chemoradiotherapy with those untreated, we have observed that chemoradiotherapy resulted in weaker staining in patients' tissues. The expression levels of HPSE-1 declined significantly in both the mRNA and protein levels in HPSE-1 shRNA transfected RD cells. The CCK-8 assay showed that lentivirus-mediated HPSE-1 silencing resulted in significantly reduced RD cells viability in vitro. Silencing HPSE-1 expression also inhibited VEGF-induced tube formation of HUVECs in Matrigel. CONCLUSION: HPSE-1 silencing may be a promising therapy for the inhibition of orbital RMS progression.

Evaluation of Intraarterial Thrombolysis in Treatment of Cosmetic Facial Filler-Related Ophthalmic Artery Occlusion.

BACKGROUND: With an increase in recent years in the number of people receiving cosmetic facial injection treatments of hyaluronic acid, the incidence of hyaluronic acid embolism has also increased commensurately. Hyaluronic acid embolism leads to serious complications, including blindness, eye and eyelid movement disorders, skin necrosis, and cerebral embolism. However, there is a lack of robust clinical evidence regarding the benefits of treatment for hyaluronic acid embolism by intraarterial thrombolysis therapy. METHODS: This study included 24 patients with a decrease in visual acuity and other complications induced by facial hyaluronic acid injection. Patients underwent emergency intraarterial thrombolysis therapy by injection of hyaluronidase (500 to 1500 units) alone or hyaluronidase (750 to 1500 units) combined with urokinase (100,000 to 250,000 units), followed in both cases by a general symptomatic treatment and nutritional therapy. RESULTS: Ten (42 percent) of 24 patients ultimately had improvements to visual acuity, even when the clinical application of the thrombolytic treatments had passed the recommended window for optimal treatment. In all cases, patients' facial skin necrosis was restored to nearly normal appearance. In addition, the authors found that hyaluronidase combined with urokinase was a more effective therapy than hyaluronidase alone. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' results indicate that intraarterial thrombolysis therapy is beneficial to patients suffering from blindness induced by hyaluronic acid embolism. The therapy was shown to be worthy of clinical application because it alleviated the impairment to patients' vision and was also beneficial in the recovery from other serious complications, including eye movement disorder, eye edema, headaches, and skin necrosis. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

Heparanase-1 and components of the hedgehog signalling pathway are increased in untreated alveolar orbital rhabdomyosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: To assess the activities of heparanase-1 and elements of the hedgehog signalling pathway in alveolar orbital rhabdomyosarcoma. METHODS: Specimens (n = 23) were divided into two groups, those from patients with preoperative chemoradiotherapy or untreated patients; six samples of normal extraocular muscle were used as a normal muscle group. The presence of heparanase-1, patched, smoothened and glioma-associated oncogene homologue-1 protein expression was determined in 23 cases of archival paraffin-embedded alveolar orbital rhabdomyosarcoma after immunohistochemistry. RNA was extracted from three groups of paraffin-embedded specimens and messenger RNA expressions of heparanase-1, smoothened and glioma-associated oncogene homologue-1 compared using nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and a limiting dilution analysis. RESULTS: The heparanase-1, patched, smoothened and glioma-associated oncogene homologue-1 protein was expressed in 91.3%, 87.0%, 91.3% and 78.3%, respectively, of the alveolar orbital rhabdomyosarcoma specimens. Untreated rhabdomyosarcoma samples tended to stain intensely, but staining was relatively weak in tissue obtained from the chemoradiotherapy group. The expression levels of heparanase-1, smoothened and glioma-associated oncogene homologue-1 messenger RNA in untreated and chemoradiotherapy groups paralleled that seen with immunology, and there were no significant differences in heparanase-1, smoothened and glioma-associated oncogene homologue-1 messenger RNA levels between the chemoradiotherapy group and the normal muscle group (P > 0.05). However, the messenger RNA in the untreated group were all significantly higher than those in the chemoradiotherapy and normal muscle groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Both heparanase-1 and hedgehog signalling pathway are involved in the pathogenesis of alveolar orbital rhabdomyosarcoma; however, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy appears to significantly inhibit their upregulation.

Heparanase-1 activities in the development of laser induced choroidal neovascularization.

AIM: To investigate the role of heparanase-1 in laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV). METHODS: Experimental CNV was induced by krypton laser photocoagulation in 15 male Brown Norway rats. Fundus fluorescein angiography and histopathological examination were performed in observing the CNV development. The expression and distribution of heparanase-1 protein in the laser lesions were determined by immunohistochemistry and western blotting analysis. RESULTS: The success rate of laser induced CNV was approximately 75% on 3-4 weeks after laser photocoagulation. The protein levels of heparanase-1 increased significantly in the retina-choroidal complex of CNV models when compared to normal rat eyes (P<0.01). Immunostaining confirmed strong heparanase-1 expressions in all laser lesions, and it displayed to be highest at the newly formed blood vessels within the fibrovascular complex in the subretinal space. CONCLUSION: Heparanase-1 is closely involved in the development of laser induced CNV.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome related optic neuritis.

AIM: To determine the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of the primary Sjögren syndrome (SS) related optic neuritis. METHODS: The clinical data of 8 patients (12 eyes) with primary SS related optic neuritis were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Eight of 128 consecutive patients with optic neuritis resulted from varied causes fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for the primary SS. They presented initially with the signs and symptoms of non-specific optic neuritis, and 5 patients presenting without dryness showed a chronic inflammation of submandibular gland or parotid gland, and lymphocyte infiltration was demonstrated by labial gland biopsy in 2 patients. There were serum positive titers for anti-Sjögren syndrome A (SSA) in 7 patients and anti-Sjögren syndrome B (SSB) in 8 patients. Anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody was negative in all the 8 patients. Both glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agent were administered, and visual acuity elevated in 8 eyes (66.7%), 3 patients (37.5%) recurred in the follow-up. CONCLUSION: Primary SS related optic neuritis is less common and easily misdiagnosed. The conventional therapies for optic neuritis could not control the recurrence.

Extraction and removal of caffeine from green tea by ultrasonic-enhanced supercritical fluid.

Low-caffeine or caffeine-removed tea and its products are widely welcomed on market in recent years. In the present study, we adopt ultrasonic-enhanced supercritical fluid extraction process to remove caffeine from green tea. An orthogonal experiment (L16 (4(5))) was applied to optimize the best removal conditions. Extraction pressure, extraction time, power of ultrasound, moisture content, and temperature were the main factors to influence the removal rate of caffeine from green tea. The 5 factors chosen for the present investigation were based on the results of a single-factor test. The optimum removal conditions were determined as follows: extraction pressure of 30 MPa, temperature at 55 degrees C, time of 4 h, 30% moisture content, and ultrasound power of 100 W. Chromatogram and ultraviolet analysis of raw material and decaffeinates suggests that under optimized conditions, the caffeine of green tea was effectively removed and minished without damaging the structure of active ingredients in green tea.

[Screening and identification of abnormal expression proteins from hypoxia human retinal pigment epithelium cell in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To screen and identify the abnormal proteins expressed by hypoxia human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in vitro. METHODS: It was a experimental study. Protein of normal/hypoxia human RPE cells in exponential phase of growth was extracted, and frozen by liquid nitrogen for proteome study. All samples were performed isoelectric focusing electrophoresis (IEF), separated by isoelectric point (pI); progressed sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and separated by protein molecular weight (Mr). 2D-gels revealed by coomassie brilliant blue, analyzed by Image Master 2D Elite. Differential proteins spots were screened in normal/hypoxia RPE cell. For identification of differential proteins, peptide masses were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS). RESULTS: Five hundred and seventy-eight protein spots were obtained in normal group (matching rate within group was 92.90%), and hypoxia group 559 (91.41%). The average matching rate between two groups was 85.47%. There were 32 differential protein spots, which volume value changed > or = 2.0 times. 7 spots were selected randomly for MS, and 5 proteins were identified successfully: HSP70 and HSP60 up-regulated; while beta-actin, beta-tubulin and peroxiredoxin 3 down-regulated. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of the in vitro study provide the evidence for expression changes of many proteins in RPE cell with hypoxia state; some of those regulated proteins can result in increasing stress capability obviously in cells, while the major cytoskeletal proteins down-regulated, and the ability of sustained-shapes, keeping order internal structure in cells decreasing. Proteome analysis provides a useful platform in systematic screening of various protein expressions in CNV related diseases.

[The preliminary study of Phosphomannopentaose sulfate (PI-88) on the experimental choroidal neovascularization].

OBJECTIVE: To probe the intervention and mechanism of the inhibitor of heparanase (PI-88) on the experimental CNV model . METHODS: Experimental CNV was induced by laser photocoagulation in 29 mail (Brown Norway) BN rats (647 nm wave length Krypton laser, 360 mW power, 50 microm spot size, 0.05 second duration), and randomly divided into vacant control group, physiologic saline control group, preventive group and treated group, another 3 rats were acted as normal group, 15 days continuous intraperitoneal injection of PI-88 (25 mg kg(-1) d(-1) was administrated in preventive group (PI-88 was administered the same day as photocoagulation) and treated group (PI-88 was administered 1 week after photocoagulation when CNV had been formed), for the physiologic saline control group, PI-88 was replaced by physiologic saline. To comprehensively evaluate the effect of PI-88 on the CNV by the quantitation of CNV area marked by FITC-dextran in choroid-sclera flat mounts, fluorescence fundus angiography and histopathology; the changes of HPA expression were surveyed by western blot and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: CNV area of preventive group and treated group decreased 52.1% and 53.8% respectively at the time point of 3 weeks after photocoagulation; the relative thickness of CNV membrane in eyes of treated group had been decreased 46% as that of control group by histopathology; CNV occurrenced 1 week after photocoagulation both in the control group and preventive group, while the fluorescein leakage of the preventive group had been inhibited significantly; 3 weeks after photocoagulation, there had been 7 days discontinuation for the prevent group, the fluorescein leakage did not enhanced, while there had been 15 days continuous administration for the treated group, the fluorescein leakage had been decreased significantly compared to the time point of 2 week; western blot showed that the relative expressed levels of HPA protein in both preventive and treated group decreased; HPA displayed distribution at the leading edge of CNV membrane migrating toward inner retina and the vascular tissue by immunohistochemistry, the expression of HPA was inhibited significantly in treated group. CONCLUSION: PI-88 may not only prevent CNV in certain degree, but also make it partially subsidize for the existed CNV, and the effect is associated with the inhibition of HPA production.

[Infection of recombinant adenovirus expressing acidic fibroblasts growth factor enhances rabbit corneal endothelium proliferation].

OBJECTIVE: To transfer the gene encoding mammalian aFGF to rabbit corneal endothelial cell and determine transfection efficiency and the effect of Ad-aFGF on proliferation of RCEC. METHODS: Replication-defective adenovirus was used to deliver the LacZ reporter gene to RCEC to determine transfection efficiency by X-gal staining. A cDNA encoding mammalian aFGF was cloned into an adenoviral vector that was used to transfect RCEC. The expression of aFGF gene mRNA and protein were demonstrated by Reverse transcription PCR and Western blot respectively. The effect of Ad-aFGF on proliferation of RCEC was determined by MTT assay. RESULTS: RT-PCR and Western blot from RCEC infected with Ad-aFGF for 48 h detected a specific cDNA amplification and protein expression of aFGF gene, and no positive result in control cells. Consistently, RCEC infected by MOI 20 of Ad-aFGF demonstrated an enhanced RCEC proliferation compared to controls (F = 217.107, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Adenoviral-mediated expression of aFGF can stimulate the proliferation of RCEC.