Visual outcomes of acute bacterial endophthalmitis treated with adjuvant intravitreal dexamethasone: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

Adjunctive treatment of bacterial endophthalmitis with intravitreal steroids is a topic of controversy among many ophthalmologists. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of intravitreal dexamethasone on the visual outcomes of patients with acute bacterial endophthalmitis through a systematic review and meta-analysis. A literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases was performed to include studies on the visual outcomes of adjuvant intravitreal dexamethasone in patients with acute bacterial endophthalmitis.

The Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Patients with Central Retinal Artery Occlusion: A Retrospective Study, Systematic Review, and Meta-analysis.

Purpose: Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a vision-threatening condition with a potentially poor visual prognosis. Many different treatment modalities are suggested but controversy remains regarding effectiveness of these treatments. The purpose of this study is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis in addition to analyzing retrospective data at our own tertiary care center regarding effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in treatment of CRAO.

Protective Role of 360° Laser Retinopexy in Patients with Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Purpose: Visual impairment from retinal re-detachment could be debilitating. The aim of this review is to evaluate the role of 360° laser retinopexy on success rate of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair by a meta-analysis study.

Methods: The PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched comprehensively from the date of database inception to January 2021, evaluating the role of 360° laser retinopexy in visual and anatomical success rate of RRD repair.

Treatment of central serous chorioretinopathy with topical NSAIDs.

Purpose: Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is a common retinopathy that is often observed until resolution. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on timing of CSCR recovery.

Methods: An IRB-approved retrospective review was conducted on patients that had been diagnosed with a new-onset, symptomatic case of CSCR.

The effects of temporary intraocular pressure spikes after intravitreal dexamethasone implantation on the retinal nerve fiber layer.

The dexamethasone (DEX) implant is known to cause temporary intraocular pressure (IOP) spikes after implantation. The purpose of this study is to determine if IOP spikes after DEX implant cause significant thinning in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). A total of 306 charts were reviewed with 48 and 21 patients meeting inclusion criteria for the cross-sectional and prospective groups, respectively.

A New Suggested Strategy for Safe Injection of Ozurdex.

Background And Objectives: Ozurdex intravitreal injection is performed via a patented injection device. However, there is a common misconception among ophthalmologists regarding the relation between the speed of applicator button depression and the speed of pellet injection.

Patients And Methods: Six dexamethasone intravitreal implants were injected into a calibrated ex vivo water bath.

The effects of repeated Ozurdex injections on ocular hypertension.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to correlate the degree of ocular hypertension with the number of Ozurdex injections.

Methods: Intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuations for a total of 183 injections were studied over a period of at least 12 months. The main indications for treatment were uveitis, diabetic macular edema, and retinal vein occlusion.

Appointment Compliance in Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema and Exudative Macular Degeneration.

Background And Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare cancellation and no-show rates in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) and exudative macular degeneration (wet AMD).

Patients And Methods: An anonymous survey was sent to 1,726 retina specialists inquiring as to the number of appointments their patients with DME and wet AMD attended, cancelled, or did not show up for in 2014 and 2015.

Results: Data were obtained on 109,599 appointments.

Recent advances in the management and understanding of macular degeneration.

Current management of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is directed at intravitreal injection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors for the treatment of wet AMD and supplementation with oral antioxidants for the treatment of dry AMD. In this article, we will review recent clinical trials for the treatment of dry and wet AMD.

Increased longevity mediated by yeast NDI1 expression in Drosophila intestinal stem and progenitor cells.

A functional decline in tissue stem cells and mitochondrial dysfunction have each been linked to aging and multiple aging-associated pathologies. However, the interplay between energy homeostasis, stem cells, and organismal aging remains poorly understood. Here, we report that expression of the single-subunit yeast alternative NADH dehydrogenase, ndi1, in Drosophila intestinal stem and progenitor cells delays the onset of multiple markers of intestinal aging and extends lifespan.

Expression of zinc-deficient human superoxide dismutase in Drosophila neurons produces a locomotor defect linked to mitochondrial dysfunction.

More than 130 different mutations in the Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene have been associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis but the mechanism of this toxicity remains controversial. To gain insight into the importance of the zinc site in the pathogenesis of SOD1 in vivo, we generated a Drosophila model with transgenic expression of a zinc-deficient human SOD1. Expression of zinc-deficient SOD1 in Drosophila resulted in a progressive movement defect with associated mitochondrial cristae vacuolization and reductions in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels.

Modulation of longevity and tissue homeostasis by the Drosophila PGC-1 homolog.

In mammals, the PGC-1 transcriptional coactivators are key regulators of energy metabolism, including mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration, which have been implicated in numerous pathogenic conditions, including neurodegeneration and cardiomyopathy. Here, we show that overexpression of the Drosophila PGC-1 homolog (dPGC-1/spargel) is sufficient to increase mitochondrial activity. Moreover, tissue-specific overexpression of dPGC-1 in stem and progenitor cells within the digestive tract extends life span.

Neuronal expression of a single-subunit yeast NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Ndi1) extends Drosophila lifespan.

The 'rate of living' theory predicts that longevity should be inversely correlated with the rate of mitochondrial respiration. However, recent studies in a number of model organisms, including mice, have reported that interventions that retard the aging process are, in fact, associated with an increase in mitochondrial activity. To better understand the relationship between energy metabolism and longevity, we supplemented the endogenous respiratory chain machinery of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster with the alternative single-subunit NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Ndi1) of the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A Drosophila model of Menkes disease reveals a role for DmATP7 in copper absorption and neurodevelopment.

Human Menkes disease is a lethal neurodegenerative disorder of copper metabolism that is caused by mutations in the ATP7A copper-transporting gene. In the present study, we attempted to construct a Drosophila model of Menkes disease by RNA interference (RNAi)-induced silencing of DmATP7, the Drosophila orthologue of mammalian ATP7A, in the digestive tract. Here, we show that a lowered level of DmATP7 mRNA in the digestive tract results in a reduced copper content in the head and the rest of the body of surviving adults, presumably owing to copper entrapment in the gut.

Perturbation of mitochondrial complex V alters the response to dietary restriction in Drosophila.

Studies in a broad spectrum of model organisms have reported that dietary restriction (DR) is associated with an increase in mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) function. However, the question of whether ETC function is required for DR-mediated longevity remains controversial. Here, we report that genetic and pharmacological interventions that target mitochondrial complex V affect Drosophila lifespan in a nutrient-dependent manner.

Extension of Drosophila life span by RNAi of the mitochondrial respiratory chain.

Background: Mitochondria have long been proposed to play an important role in the aging process. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, genes important for mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) function stand out as a principal group of genes affecting life span. However, it has been suggested that this may be a peculiarity of nematode biology.

Cocoa confers life span extension in Drosophila melanogaster.

Cocoa is thought to be an excellent source of antioxidants. Here, we investigated the effects of cocoa supplementation on Drosophila melanogaster life span under different oxidative stress conditions. Our results illustrate that a moderate supplementation of cocoa under normoxia increases the average life span, whereas, at higher concentrations, average life span is normal.

Overexpression of metal-responsive transcription factor (MTF-1) in Drosophila melanogaster ameliorates life-span reductions associated with oxidative stress and metal toxicity.

Heavy metals are essential components of many biological processes but are toxic at high concentrations. Our results illustrate that when metal homeostasis is compromised by a mutation in the metal-responsive transcription factor (MTF-1), the life-span is shortened. In contrast, MTF-1 overexpression results in resistant flies with prolonged longevity on iron or cadmium-supplemented media but shortened life-span on zinc-supplemented medium.

Mutations of the withered (whd) gene in Drosophila melanogaster confer hypersensitivity to oxidative stress and are lesions of the carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I) gene.

Since some oxygen defense mutants of Drosophila melanogaster exhibit a crinkled wing phenotype, a screen was performed on strains bearing mutant alleles conferring a visible wing phenotype to determine whether any were hypersensitive to oxidative stress. One mutant, withered (whd), was found to be sensitive to both dietary paraquat and hyperoxia. New alleles of whd were induced on a defined genetic background and strains carrying these alleles were also found to be sensitive to oxidative stress.

Antioxidants cannot suppress the lethal phenotype of a Drosophila melanogaster model of Huntington's disease.

Substantial evidence suggests that antioxidants may play a major role in delaying the progress of Huntington's disease (HD). Here we investigated the effects of superoxide dismutase (cytoplasmic Cu/ZnSOD and mitochondrial MnSOD) and supplementation with dietary antioxidants (alpha-tocopherol and coenzyme Q10) on survival to adulthood in a Drosophila melanogaster model of HD. Our results illustrate that neither overexpression of superoxide dismutase nor supplementation of dietary antioxidants can rescue the lethal phenotype of HD flies.

The effects of vitamin supplementation on Drosophila life span under normoxia and under oxidative stress.

Vitamin A (retinol), vitamin C (ascorbic acid), and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) are each thought to play an important role in the aging process. Here, we investigated the effects of these vitamins on Drosophila melanogaster life span under different oxidative stress conditions. Among the vitamins tested, alpha-tocopherol exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity, extending average and maximum life span for wild-type flies under hyperoxia and for Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase-deficient (SOD1-deficient) flies under normoxia.