[Experiences with CO laser-assisted sclerectomy surgery].

Introduction: CO laser- assisted sclerectomy surgery (CLASS) can be used for the surgical treatment of open-angle glaucoma.

Aim: To introduce our results with CLASS.

Method: We performed 21 CLASS operations using OT-134-IOPtiMate (IOPtima Ltd, Ramat-Gan, Israel).

Analysis of complement factor H Y402H, LOC387715, HTRA1 polymorphisms and ApoE alleles with susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration in Hungarian patients.

Purpose: Recent studies strongly support the role of genetic factors in the aetiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We investigated the frequency of Tyr402His polymorphism of the complement factor H (CFH) gene, Ser69Ala polymorphism at LOC387715, rs11200638 polymorphism of the HTRA1 gene and different apolipoprotein E (ApoE) alleles in Hungarian patients with AMD in order to determine the disease risk conferred by these factors.

Methods: In a case-control study, we performed clinical and molecular genetic examination of 105 AMD patients (48 patients in the early and 57 in the late subgroup) and 95 unrelated healthy controls.

Bright cyclic rearing protects albino mouse retina against acute light-induced apoptosis.

Purpose: Previous studies have shown that albino rats born and raised in bright cyclic light are protected from light-induced apoptosis. The present study was designed to determine if bright cyclic rearing provides protection against retinal degeneration caused by acute light exposure in albino mice.

Methods: BALB/c mice were born in dim cyclic light (5 lux, 12 h ON/OFF).

L-NAME protects against acute light damage in albino rats, but not against retinal degeneration in P23H and S334ter transgenic rats.

Two previous studies have shown that N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of neuronal nitric oxide synthase, protects retinas of albino rats and mice from damaging levels of light. The aims of the present study were two-fold: (1) to confirm the protective effect of L-NAME on wild type albino rats and (2) to determine if L-NAME protects the retinas of transgenic rats with P23H and S334ter rhodopsin mutations. In the first study, albino rats born and raised in 5-10 lux cyclic light were injected intraperitoneally with either L-NAME or its inactive isomer D-NAME 30 min before being placed in bright light (2700 lux) for 24hr.