Statistical Analysis of Zebrafish Locomotor Response.

Zebrafish larvae display rich locomotor behaviour upon external stimulation. The movement can be simultaneously tracked from many larvae arranged in multi-well plates. The resulting time-series locomotor data have been used to reveal new insights into neurobiology and pharmacology.

Effects of EGCG content in green tea extract on pharmacokinetics, oxidative status and expression of inflammatory and apoptotic genes in the rat ocular tissues.

Green tea extract (GTE) exerts antioxidative activities in ocular tissues of rats, but high levels of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) can induce oxidative stress. In this study, pharmacokinetics, diurnal variation of oxidative status, antioxidation and transcription factors changes in ocular tissues of rats were investigated. Rats were fed intragastrically with GTE and catechin mixtures containing different amounts of EGCG.

Association of Genetic Variants with Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy: A Systematic Review and Updated Meta-analysis.

Topic: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the genetic association with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and the genetic difference between PCV and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Clinical Relevance: To identify genetic biomarkers that are potentially useful for genetic diagnosis of PCV and for differentiating PCV from nAMD.

Methods: We performed a literature search in EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Chinese Biomedical Database for PCV genetic studies published before February 6, 2015.

Whole-exome sequencing implicates UBE3D in age-related macular degeneration in East Asian populations.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible central blindness among the elderly worldwide. We use exome sequencing to analyse nonsynonymous single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) across the whole genome of 216 neovascular AMD cases and 1,553 controls. As a follow-up validation, we evaluate 3,772 neovascular AMD cases and 6,942 controls from five independent cohorts in the East Asian population.

A common variant near TGFBR3 is associated with primary open angle glaucoma.

Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), a major cause of blindness worldwide, is a complex disease with a significant genetic contribution. We performed Exome Array (Illumina) analysis on 3504 POAG cases and 9746 controls with replication of the most significant findings in 9173 POAG cases and 26 780 controls across 18 collections of Asian, African and European descent. Apart from confirming strong evidence of association at CDKN2B-AS1 (rs2157719 [G], odds ratio [OR] = 0.

Association of PEDF polymorphisms with age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study assesses the association of the pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) gene with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). Publications in MEDLINE and EMBASE up to 21/08/2014 were searched for case-control association studies of PEDF with AMD and/or PCV. Reported studies giving adequate genotype and/or allele information were included.

Ethnic differences in the association of SERPING1 with age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) are leading causes of irreversible blindness in developed countries. In this study, we investigated the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the serpin peptidase inhibitor, clade G, member 1 (SERPING1) gene with neovascular AMD and PCV. Two haplotype-tagging SNPs, rs1005510 and rs11603020, of SERPING1 were genotyped in 708 unrelated Chinese individuals: 200 neovascular AMD, 233 PCV and 275 controls.

New loci and coding variants confer risk for age-related macular degeneration in East Asians.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of blindness, but presents differently in Europeans and Asians. Here, we perform a genome-wide and exome-wide association study on 2,119 patients with exudative AMD and 5,691 controls, with independent replication in 4,226 patients and 10,289 controls, all of East Asian descent, as part of The Genetics of AMD in Asians (GAMA) Consortium. We find a strong association between CETP Asp442Gly (rs2303790), an East Asian-specific mutation, and increased risk of AMD (odds ratio (OR)=1.

Cigarette smoking hinders human periodontal ligament-derived stem cell proliferation, migration and differentiation potentials.

Cigarette smoking contributes to the development of destructive periodontal diseases and delays its healing process. Our previous study demonstrated that nicotine, a major constituent in the cigarette smoke, inhibits the regenerative potentials of human periodontal ligament-derived stem cells (PDLSC) through microRNA (miRNA) regulation. In this study, we hypothesized that the delayed healing in cigarette smokers is caused by the afflicted regenerative potential of smoker PDLSC.

Antagonist of GH-releasing hormone receptors alleviates experimental ocular inflammation.

Disruptions in immunity and occurrence of inflammation cause many eye diseases. The growth hormone-releasing hormone-growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor-1 (GHRH-GH-IGF1) axis exerts regulatory effects on the immune system. Its involvement in ocular inflammation remains to be investigated.

Signature microRNAs in human cornea limbal epithelium.

This study was aimed to identify the signature microRNAs, which regulate the biological processes of corneal epithelial progenitor cell (CEPC) homeostasis and regulation through characterizing the differential expression profile of microRNAs in human limbal epithelium containing adult CEPC versus central corneal epithelium without CEPC. MicroRNA microarray had identified 37 microRNAs enriched in human corneal epithelium. Among them, nine were significantly upregulated in limbal epithelium and one in central corneal epithelium after validation by TaqMan® real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Gender specific association of a complement component 3 polymorphism with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) are leading causes of irreversible blindness in developed countries. In this study, we investigated the associations of haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the complement component 3 (C3) gene with both neovascular AMD and PCV, and potential epistatic effects on C3. Eight tagging SNPs in C3 were genotyped in 708 unrelated study subjects: 200 neovascular AMD patients, 233 PCV patients and 275 controls.

Genotype-phenotype correlation and mutation spectrum in a large cohort of patients with inherited retinal dystrophy revealed by next-generation sequencing.

Purpose: Inherited retinal dystrophy (IRD) is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Because of extreme genetic heterogeneity, the etiology and genotypic spectrum of IRD have not been clearly defined, and there is limited information on genotype-phenotype correlations. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the mutational spectrum and genotype-phenotype correlations of IRD.

Association of common variants in TCF4 and PTPRG with Fuchs' corneal dystrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Topic: A meta-analysis of TCF4 and PTPRG gene variants in Fuchs' corneal dystrophy (FCD).

Clinical Relevance: To identify novel genetic markers in patients with FCD in different ethnic populations.

Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for eligible genetic studies on TCF4 and PTPRG in FCD.

Determination of exogenous epigallocatechin gallate peracetate in mouse plasma using liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

A robust method for the quantitation of epigallocatechin gallate peracetate in plasma for pharmacokinetic studies is lacking. We have developed a validated method to quantify this compound using liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry with isopropanol and tert-butyl methyl ether (3:10) extraction and thin-layer chromatography purification. The epigallocatechin gallate peracetate-1-(13) C8 isotope was used as an internal standard.

Diabetes mellitus and risk of age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of severe vision loss in elderly people. Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrine disorder with serious consequences, and diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the main ophthalmic complication. DR and AMD are different diseases and we seek to explore the relationship between diabetes and AMD.

Common variants near ABCA1 and in PMM2 are associated with primary open-angle glaucoma.

We performed a genome-wide association study for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in 1,007 cases with high-pressure glaucoma (HPG) and 1,009 controls from southern China. We observed genome-wide significant association at multiple SNPs near ABCA1 at 9q31.1 (rs2487032; P = 1.

Genome-wide association analysis of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome identifies two new susceptibility loci at 1p31.2 and 10q21.3.

To identify new genetic risk factors for Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome, we conducted a genome-wide association study of 2,208,258 SNPs in 774 cases and 2,009 controls with follow-up in a collection of 415 cases and 2,006 controls and a further collection of 349 cases and 1,588 controls from a Han Chinese population. We identified three loci associated with VKH syndrome susceptibility (IL23R-C1orf141, rs117633859, P(combined) = 3.42 × 10(-21), odds ratio (OR) = 1.

Whole exome sequencing reveals genetic predisposition in a large family with retinitis pigmentosa.

Next-generation sequencing has become more widely used to reveal genetic defect in monogenic disorders. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), the leading cause of hereditary blindness worldwide, has been attributed to more than 67 disease-causing genes. Due to the extreme genetic heterogeneity, using general molecular screening alone is inadequate for identifying genetic predispositions in susceptible individuals.

Influence of molecular genetics in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease.

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is a systemic autoimmune disorder against melanocytes. Recent studies have identified multiple genetic factors that might be associated with the pathogenesis of VKH disease. We performed an electronic database search of PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE, and all relevant papers published up to 13 June 2014 were reviewed.

Green tea extract treatment alleviates ocular inflammation in a rat model of endotoxin-induced uveitis.

Green tea extract (GTE) ingested by rats exerted anti-oxidative activities in various ocular tissues as shown in our previous studies. The present work investigated anti-inflammatory effects of GTE on endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU). EIU was generated in adult rats by a footpad injection of 1 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

CFI-rs7356506 is a genetic protective factor for acute anterior uveitis in Chinese patients.

Background: Complement Factor I (CFI) and the CD46 complement regulator (CD46) play an important role in the complement activation pathways, which is known to affect the development of uveitis. The present study was performed to investigate the association of the CFI and CD46 genes with acute anterior uveitis (AAU).

Methods: A total of 600 subjects (300 patients with AAU and 300 healthy controls) were recruited for this case-control study.

A High-Throughput Zebrafish Screening Method for Visual Mutants by Light-Induced Locomotor Response.

Normal and visually-impaired zebrafish larvae have differentiable light-induced locomotor response (LLR), which is composed of visual and non-visual components. It is recently demonstrated that differences in the acute phase of the LLR, also known as the visual motor response (VMR), can be utilized to evaluate new eye drugs. However, most of the previous studies focused on the average LLR activity of a particular genotype, which left information that could address differences in individual zebrafish development unattended.

Pro-oxidative and antioxidative controls and signaling modification of polyphenolic phytochemicals: contribution to health promotion and disease prevention?

Polyphenolic phytochemicals (PPs) have been extensively studied as potential nutriceuticals for maintenance of health and treatment of cancer, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. However, the reported beneficial outcomes are inconsistent. The biological activities of PPs have been attributed to their pro-oxidative and antioxidative actions and effects on signaling mechanisms and epigenomic modifications.