Enhancement of retinal Müller glia's phagocytic activity against hard exudates by conbercept activation of PPARγ-CD36 axis in diabetic retinopathy.

Aim: To investigate the effects and the underlying mechanism(s) of conbercept on the phagocytosis of hard exudates (HEs) by Müller glia in diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: Twenty-one eyes from 17 patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging to examine the changes of HEs before and after intravitreal conbercept injection (IVC). , rat retinal Müller cell line (rMC-1) was cultured under high glucose and treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) with or without conbercept.

Inflammation in diabetic retinopathy: possible roles in pathogenesis and potential implications for therapy.

Diabetic retinopathy, characterized as a microangiopathy and neurodegenerative disease, is the leading cause of visual impairment in diabetic patients. Many clinical features observed in diabetic retinopathy, such as capillary occlusion, acellular capillaries and retinal non-perfusion, aggregate retinal ischemia and represent relatively late events in diabetic retinopathy. In fact, retinal microvascular injury is an early event in diabetic retinopathy involving multiple biochemical alterations, and is manifested by changes to the retinal neurovascular unit and its cellular components.

Anti-VEGF reduces inflammatory features in macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion.

Aim: To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) in patients with macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO-ME).

Methods: Twenty-eight eyes from twenty-eight treatment-naïve patients (14 males and 14 females) with RVO-ME were included in this retrospective study. The retinal vein occlusion (RVO) was comprised of both central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO, =14) and branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO, =14).

iTRAQ-based proteomics analysis of aqueous humor in patients with dry age-related macular degeneration.

Aim: To preliminarily test proteomics in aqueous humor in patients with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by using the proteomic technology.

Methods: Aqueous humor samples were collected from patients with or without dry AMD, who underwent cataract surgery. The aqueous samples were analyzed with isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) combined with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technology.

αB-crystallin malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and lutathione peroxidase changes in X-ray irradiated rat lens.

Aim: To evaluate αB-crystallin malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) changes in X-ray irradiated rat lens.

Methods: Eight-week-old Sprague-Dawley male rats received X-ray irradiation to the head with rest of the body protected. The exposure dose ranged from 2 to 25 Grays (Gy).

Pharmacokinetic and toxicity study of intravitreal erythropoietin in rabbits.

Aim: To study the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of intravitreal erythropoietin (EPO) for potential clinical use.

Methods: For toxicity study, 4 groups (60 rabbits) with intravitreal injection (IVit) of EPO were studied (10 U, 100 U, or 1,000 U) per eye for single injection and 0.6 U/eye (the designed therapeutic level in rabbits) for monthly injections (6X).

Microscopic hyperspectral imaging studies of normal and diabetic retina of rats.

A microscopic hyperspectral imager was developed based on the microscopic technology and the spectral imaging technology. Some microscopic hyperspectral images of retina sections of the normal, the diabetic, and the treated rats were collected by the new imager. Single-band images and pseudo-color images of each group were obtained and the typical transmittance spectrums were extracted.