From frog integument to human skin: dermatological perspectives from frog skin biology.

For over a century, frogs have been studied across various scientific fields, including physiology, embryology, neuroscience, (neuro)endocrinology, ecology, genetics, behavioural science, evolution, drug development, and conservation biology. In some cases, frog skin has proven very successful as a research model, for example aiding in the study of ion transport through tight epithelia, where it has served as a model for the vertebrate distal renal tubule and mammalian epithelia. However, it has rarely been considered in comparative studies involving human skin.

Fibrous membranes in diabetic retinopathy and bevacizumab.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the histopathologic characteristics of bevacizumab-treated human proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) membranes with particular regard to membrane vasculature as a step toward addressing the effects of the drug on PDR membranes. Intravitreous injection of bevacizumab, an antivascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody, has recently been advocated as an adjunct in surgery for PDR. In this context, a clinically observed decrease in PDR epiretinal membrane vascularity (vascular regression) occurs from 24 hours to 48 hours after injection, but the exact mechanisms of drug action are unknown.

Localisation of opticin in human proliferative retinal disease.

This study sought to determine the distribution of opticin, an extracellular matrix small leucine-rich repeat protein secreted by the non-pigmented ciliary body epithelium (CBE), in pathological eye tissues including posterior hyaloid membranes (PHM) and epiretinal membranes (ERM) from subjects with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Eight enucleated eyes and eleven surgically excised PHMs/ERMs from patients with PDR, CRVO or PVR were analysed by immunohistochemistry for the presence and distribution of opticin, vitreous (delineated by a type II collagen antibody) and blood vessels (using CD31 and CD34 antibodies as endothelial markers). Opticin was present at the basal surface of the non-pigmented CBE and, in a patchy distribution, within CBE cells in all 8 enucleated globes.