Intravitreal Administration of Stanniocalcin-1 Rescues Photoreceptor Degeneration with Reduced Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in a Porcine Model of Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of stanniocalcin-1 (STC-1), a secreted polypeptide exhibiting multiple functions in cell survival and death, on photoreceptor degeneration in a porcine model of retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

Methods: P23H transgenic pigs (TG P23H) and wild-type hybrid littermates were obtained from the National Swine Resource and Research Center. Human recombinant STC-1 was injected intravitreally every 2 weeks from postnatal day 15 (P15) to P75.

Donor DMEK Tissue Characteristics: Association With Rebubble Rate and 6-Month Endothelial Cell Loss.

Purpose: To determine whether specific donor characteristics influence postoperative rebubble rate and 6-month endothelial cell loss (ECL) in Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of 857 DMEK surgeries using eye bank-prepared donor tissue was performed between September 2013 and April 2018. DMEK graft characteristics including donor age, preoperative endothelial cell density (ECD), preservation time, death-to-preservation time, and donor diabetes status were analyzed for correlation with rebubble rate and 6-month postoperative ECL.

The Last 200 Surgeon-Loaded Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty Tissue Versus the First 200 Preloaded Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty Tissue.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes from using eye bank-prepared, endothelium-out preloaded Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) tissue with those obtained with endothelium-out surgeon-loaded DMEK tissue using the same surgical technique at 1 site.

Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed 400 consecutive cases of DMEK from March 2016 to April 2018. The last 200 cases using surgeon-loaded tissue were compared with the first 200 cases using preloaded tissue.

Treatment of periocular basal cell carcinoma with neoadjuvant vismodegib.

Purpose: To report a case of a locally advanced periocular basal cell carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant Vismodegib therapy prior to surgery.

Observations: A 63-year-old female presented to the oculoplastics clinic with biopsy-proven basal cell carcinoma of the right periorbital region causing significant cicatricial ectropion of the right lower eyelid. The medial canthal lesion involved nearly the entire right lower eyelid with extension onto the cheek, the medial half of the right upper eyelid, the palpebral and bulbar conjunctiva, as well as the right lacrimal system.

Rescue of human corneal epithelial cells after alkaline insult using renalase derived peptide, RP-220.

Aim: To study the effect of renalase peptide, RP-220, on cell viability of human corneal epithelial cells after alkali insult.

Methods: A dose-response relationship between cell viability and exposure to NaOH solution were characterized using cultured human corneal epithelial cells. Viability of corneal epithelial cells was determined using commercially available MTT and CyQUANT assays.

Absence of Therapeutic Benefit of the Anti-Inflammatory Protein TSG-6 for Corneal Alkali Injury in a Rat Model.

: To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α stimulated gene/protein 6 (TSG-6) in a rat model of corneal alkali injury. : Corneal alkali injury was produced by placing an NaOH-soaked filter paper disk on the central cornea of the right eye of an anesthetized male Lewis (LEW/Crl) rat. Recombinant human TSG-6, or an equal volume of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), was administered intravenously (IV), by anterior chamber (AC) injection, or as a topical drop.

Data on SD-OCT image acquisition, ultrastructural features, and horizontal tissue shrinkage in the porcine retina.

The data presented in this article are related to the research paper entitled "Correlation of Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography with Histology and Electron Microscopy in the Porcine Retina" (Xie et al., 2018) [2]. This research data highlights our technique for retinal fundus image acquisition during spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in a large animal model.

Correlation of spectral domain optical coherence tomography with histology and electron microscopy in the porcine retina.

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is used as a non-invasive tool for retinal morphological assessment in vivo. Information on the correlation of SD-OCT with retinal histology in the porcine retina, a model resembling the human retina, is limited. Herein, we correlated the hypo- and hyper-reflective bands on SD-OCT with histology of the lamellar architecture and cellular constituents of the porcine retina.

Tranexamic acid-induced ligneous conjunctivitis with renal failure showed reversible hypoplasminogenaemia.

Ligneous conjunctivitis is a rare severe conjunctivitis characterised by fibrin-rich, 'woody', pseudomembranes on the tarsal conjunctiva complicated by congenital hypoplasminogenaemia. A previous report suggested that ligneous conjunctivitis may result from tranexamic acid (TA)-induced 'secondary' hypoplasminogenaemia. However, the serum plasminogen level has not been confirmed in that scenario.

Role of endothelium in vasomotor responses to endothelin system and protein kinase C activation in porcine retinal arterioles.

Purpose: Endothelial cells synthesize vasodilator nitric oxide (NO) and vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 (ET-1) from NO synthase (eNOS) and endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1), respectively. Protein kinase C (PKC) and Rho kinase (ROCK) are major signaling molecules mediating vasoconstriction. Although endothelial cells express eNOS, ECE-1, endothelin B (ET(B)) receptors, PKC, and ROCK, their influences on ET-1-induced vasoconstriction remain elusive.

Temporal development of retinal arteriolar endothelial dysfunction in porcine type 1 diabetes.

Purpose: Although hyperglycemia is implicated in retinal vascular dysfunction associated with the development of diabetic retinopathy, the temporal influence of hyperglycemia on retinal arteriolar reactivity remains unclear. Development of a large animal model of diabetes relevant to the human retina for evaluation of vascular function is also lacking. Herein, we examined nitric oxide (NO)-mediated dilation and endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced constriction in retinal arterioles at various time periods in a porcine model of type 1 diabetes.

Constriction of retinal arterioles to endothelin-1: requisite role of rho kinase independent of protein kinase C and L-type calcium channels.

Purpose: Although endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide implicated in several retinal pathologies, the underlying mechanism of vasoconstriction is understood incompletely. We addressed this issue by assessing the contributions of extracellular calcium (Ca²⁺), L-type voltage-operated calcium channels (L-VOCCs), Rho kinase (ROCK), and protein kinase C (PKC) to ET-1-induced constriction of porcine retinal arterioles, all of which have been implicated commonly in vascular smooth muscle contraction.

Methods: Porcine retinal arterioles (~50-100 μm) were isolated for vasomotor study and molecular assessment of ROCK isoforms.

Acute retinal ischemia inhibits endothelium-dependent nitric oxide-mediated dilation of retinal arterioles via enhanced superoxide production.

Purpose: Because retinal vascular disease is associated with ischemia and increased oxidative stress, the vasodilator function of retinal arterioles was examined after retinal ischemia induced by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). The role of superoxide anions in the development of vascular dysfunction was assessed.

Methods: IOP was increased and maintained at 80 to 90 mm Hg for 30, 60, or 90 minutes by infusing saline into the anterior chamber of a porcine eye.