Opposite response of blood vessels in the retina to 6° head-down tilt and long-duration microgravity.

The Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS), associated with the headward fluid shifts incurred in microgravity during long-duration missions, remains a high-priority health and performance risk for human space exploration. To help characterize the pathophysiology of SANS, NASA's VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN) software was used to map and quantify vascular adaptations in the retina before and after 70 days of bed rest at 6-degree Head-Down Tilt (HDT), a well-studied microgravity analog. Results were compared to the retinal vascular response of astronauts following 6-month missions to the International Space Station (ISS).

Decreased Vascular Patterning in the Retinas of Astronaut Crew Members as New Measure of Ocular Damage in Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome.

Purpose: Ocular structural and functional changes, collectively termed spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS), have been described in astronauts undergoing long-duration missions in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station. We tested the hypothesis that retinal vascular remodeling, particularly by smaller vessels, mediates the chronic headward fluid shifts associated with SANS.

Methods: As a retrospective study, arterial and venous patterns extracted from 30° infrared Heidelberg Spectralis retinal images of eight crew members acquired before and after six-month missions were analyzed with NASA's recently released VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN) software.

Loss of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Exacerbates Diabetic Retinopathy by Promoting Bone Marrow Dysfunction.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the primary enzyme of the vasoprotective axis of the renin angiotensin system (RAS). We tested the hypothesis that loss of ACE2 would exacerbate diabetic retinopathy by promoting bone marrow dysfunction. ACE2 were crossed with Akita mice, a model of type 1 diabetes.

Posterolateral Corner Injury Associated with a Schatzker Type 2 Tibial Plateau Fracture.

Isolated posterolateral corner (PLC) injuries are rarely seen with tibial plateau fractures and can be missed during the initial assessment. The objective of this paper is to present a case of a Schatzker type 2 tibial plateau fracture with associated isolated PLC injury and give a discussion on physical exam, diagnostic studies, and treatment options. A twenty-five-year-old female sustained a concomitant Schatzker type 2 fracture and PLC injury.