Optimum on-time and off-time combinations for micropulse phacoemulsification in venturi vacuum mode.

Purpose: To measure the time to fragment removal and number of chatter events using various combinations of micropulse on times and off times (measured in milliseconds) of longitudinal ultrasound (US) using a venturi-based phacoemulsification system.

Setting: John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.

Subretinal AAV2.COMP-Ang1 suppresses choroidal neovascularization and vascular endothelial growth factor in a murine model of age-related macular degeneration.

To assess whether Tie2-mediated vascular stabilization ameliorates neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), we investigated the impact of adeno-associated virus-mediated gene therapy with cartilage oligomeric matrix protein angiopoietin-1 (AAV2.COMP-Ang1) on choroidal neovascularization (CNV), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) in a mouse model of the disease. We treated mice with subretinal injections of AAV2.

Bent versus straight tips in micropulsed longitudinal phacoemulsification.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate bent and straight phacoemulsification tips to determine which tip is more efficient in removal of lens fragments, using micropulsed longitudinal ultrasound in phacoemulsification.

Design: In vitro laboratory study.

Methods: The John A.

Intravitreal AAV2.COMP-Ang1 Prevents Neurovascular Degeneration in a Murine Model of Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness in the working-age population in the U.S. The vision-threatening processes of neuroglial and vascular dysfunction in DR occur in concert, driven by hyperglycemia and propelled by a pathway of inflammation, ischemia, vasodegeneration, and breakdown of the blood retinal barrier.

Impact of micropulsed ultrasound power settings on the efficiency and chatter associated with lens-fragment removal.

Purpose: To determine the optimum power settings in micropulsed ultrasound (US).

Setting: John A. Moran Eye Center Laboratories, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Effect of increased vacuum and aspiration rates on phacoemulsification efficiency.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of vacuum and aspiration rates on phacoemulsification efficiency.

Setting: John A. Moran Eye Center Laboratories, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Comparison of venturi and peristaltic vacuum in phacoemulsification.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficiency of peristaltic-based and venturi-based vacuums.

Setting: John A. Moran Eye Center Laboratories, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

In vivo ZW800-microbead imaging of retinal and choroidal vascular leakage in mice.

The eye is an attractive organ for non-invasive discovery and monitoring of disease progression. Traditionally, fluorescein angiography (FA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) have been used for dynamic evaluation of the retina and its vasculature. However, both fluorescein and indocyanine green (ICG) possess considerable disadvantages.

Rejuvenating clinician-scientist training.

Clinician-scientists are becoming increasingly rare in medicine as a whole, but especially in ophthalmology. There is a structural gap between MD-PhD training and K-series awards where interested candidates go through residency and fellowship without any structured research exposure or involvement. Furthermore, the success rate of the MD-PhD and K awards leaves much to be desired.

Acridine orange leukocyte fluorography in mice.

Simultaneous non-invasive visualization of blood vessels and nerves in patients can be obtained in the eye. The retinal vasculature is a target of many retinopathies. Inflammation, readily manifest by leukocyte adhesion to the endothelial lining, is a key pathophysiological mechanism of many retinopathies, making it a valuable and ubiquitous target for disease research.

Dual suppression of hemangiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis by splice-shifting morpholinos targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (KDR).

The KDR gene, which participates in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, produces two functionally distinct protein products, membrane-bound KDR (mbKDR) and its isoform, soluble KDR (sKDR). Since sKDR does not have a tyrosine kinase domain and does not dimerize, it is principally an antagonist of lymphangiogenesis by sequestering VEGF-C. Alternative polyadenylation of exon 30 or intron 13 leads to the production of mbKDR or sKDR, respectively, yet the regulatory mechanisms are unknown.

Ceramide mediates vascular dysfunction in diet-induced obesity by PP2A-mediated dephosphorylation of the eNOS-Akt complex.

Vascular dysfunction that accompanies obesity and insulin resistance may be mediated by lipid metabolites. We sought to determine if vascular ceramide leads to arterial dysfunction and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Pharmacological inhibition of de novo ceramide synthesis, using the Ser palmitoyl transferase inhibitor myriocin, and heterozygous deletion of dihydroceramide desaturase prevented vascular dysfunction and hypertension in mice after high-fat feeding.

Morpholino-mediated increase in soluble Flt-1 expression results in decreased ocular and tumor neovascularization.

Background: Angiogenesis is a key process in several ocular disorders and cancers. Soluble Flt-1 is an alternatively spliced form of the Flt-1 gene that retains the ligand-binding domain, but lacks the membrane-spanning and intracellular kinase domains of the full-length membrane bound Flt-1 (mbFlt-1) protein. Thus, sFlt-1 is an endogenous inhibitor of VEGF-A mediated angiogenesis.