Management of Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus with Optic Neuritis and Cavernous Sinus Involvement: A Case Report.

Purpose: To report a treatment approach of a rare presentation of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) with optic neuropathy and oculomotor nerve palsy.

Methods: Report of one case.

Results: Multiple lesions involving the optic nerve and cavernous sinus were demonstrated on magnetic resonance imaging in a patient with a characteristic herpes zoster rash in the V1 dermatomal distribution.

Impact of Pregnancy on Papilledema and Vision Loss in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Patients: A Chart Review and Case Series of 13 Patients.

Background: Studies suggest that weight gain is a prominent risk factor for recurrence of papilledema in idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Given this information, the significant weight gain that occurs during pregnancy, and the fact that pharmacologic therapy is many times discontinued, raises concerns for worsening edema and vision loss. To examine the impact of pregnancy weight gain on IIH, a retrospective chart review of patients with IIH and pregnancy was performed.

An improved method for murine laser-induced choroidal neovascularization lesion quantification from optical coherence tomography images.

Laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (L-CNV) in murine models is a standard method for assessing therapies, genetics, and mechanisms relevant to the blinding eye disease neovascular or "wet" age-related macular degeneration. The evaluation of these lesions involves confocal microscopy analysis. evaluation via optical coherence tomography (OCT) has previously been established and allows longitudinal assessment of lesion development.

Small-molecule inhibitors of ferrochelatase are antiangiogenic agents.

Activity of the heme synthesis enzyme ferrochelatase (FECH) is implicated in multiple diseases. In particular, it is a mediator of neovascularization in the eye and thus an appealing therapeutic target for preventing blindness. However, no drug-like direct FECH inhibitors are known.

Inhibition of APE1/Ref-1 for Neovascular Eye Diseases: From Biology to Therapy.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nvAMD), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and other eye diseases are characterized by retinal and/or choroidal neovascularization, ultimately causing vision loss in millions of people worldwide. nvAMD and PDR are associated with aging and the number of those affected is expected to increase as the global median age and life expectancy continue to rise. With this increase in prevalence, the development of novel, orally bioavailable therapies for neovascular eye diseases that target multiple pathways is critical, since current anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatments, delivered by intravitreal injection, are accompanied with tachyphylaxis, a high treatment burden and risk of complications.

Retinal Phenotyping of Ferrochelatase Mutant Mice Reveals Protoporphyrin Accumulation and Reduced Neovascular Response.

Purpose: Heme depletion, through inhibition of ferrochelatase (FECH), blocks retinal and choroidal neovascularization. Both pharmacologic FECH inhibition and a partial loss-of-function Fech mutation (Fechm1Pas) are associated with decreased neovascularization. However, the ocular physiology of Fechm1Pas mice under basal conditions has not been characterized.

Toward laboratory blood test-comparable photometric assessments for anemia in veterinary hematology.

Anemia associated with intestinal parasites and malnutrition is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in small ruminants worldwide. Qualitative scoring of conjunctival redness has been developed so that farmers can gauge anemia in sheep and goats to identify animals that require treatment. For clinically relevant anemia diagnosis, complete blood count-comparable quantitative methods often rely on complicated and expensive optical instruments, requiring detailed spectral information of hemoglobin.

Novel Insights into the Roles of Rho Kinase in Cancer.

Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK) is a major downstream effector of the small GTPase RhoA. The ROCK family, consisting of ROCK1 and ROCK2, plays a central role in the organization of the actin cytoskeleton, and is involved in a wide range of fundamental cellular functions such as contraction, adhesion, migration, proliferation, and apoptosis. Since the discovery of effective inhibitors such as fasudil and Y27632, the biological roles of ROCK have been extensively explored in numerous diseases, including cancer.

Dissecting the Mechanisms of Doxorubicin and Oxidative Stress-Induced Cytotoxicity: The Involvement of Actin Cytoskeleton and ROCK1.

We have recently reported that ROCK1 deficiency in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) has superior anti-apoptotic and pro-survival effects than antioxidants against doxorubicin, a chemotherapeutic drug. Although oxidative stress is the most widely accepted mechanism, our studies suggest that ROCK1-dependent actin cytoskeleton remodeling plays a more important role in mediating doxorubicin cytotoxicity on MEFs. To further explore the contributions of ROCK1-dependent actin cytoskeleton remodeling in response to stress, this study investigates the mechanistic differences between the cytotoxic effects of doxorubicin versus hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), with a focus on cytoskeleton alterations, apoptosis and necrosis induction.