Ferroptosis is involved in the damage of ocular lens under long-term PM exposure in rat models and humans.

Epidemiological studies show a positive association between air pollution and age-related cataracts, but the pathogenic mechanism remains unclear. This study first demonstrates that fine particulate matter (PM) induces ferroptosis in the lens, leading to morphological and functional disorders, through human, animal, and cellular samples. In 3-week PM-exposed rat models (10 µl 1 mg/ml PM suspension per eye, 4 times a day), we find that many vacuoles form in the lens equatorial region by analysis of haematoxylin and eosin staining after PM exposure.

Acute and continuous exposure of airborne fine particulate matter (PM): diverse outer blood-retinal barrier damages and disease susceptibilities.

Background: The association between air pollution and retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been demonstrated, but the pathogenic correlation is unknown. Damage to the outer blood-retinal barrier (oBRB), which consists of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choriocapillaris, is crucial in the development of fundus diseases.

Objectives: To describe the effects of airborne fine particulate matter (PM) on the oBRB and disease susceptibilities.

Bismuth-Based Electrocatalysts for Identical Value-Added Formic Acid Through Coupling CO Reduction and Methanol Oxidation.

It is an effective way to reduce atmospheric CO via electrochemical CO reduction reaction (CORR), while the slow oxygen evolution reaction (OER) occurs at the anode with huge energy consumption. Herein, methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is used to replace OER, coupling CORR to achieve co-production of formate. Through enhancing OCHO* adsorption by oxygen vacancies engineering and synergistic effect by heteroatom doping, Bi/BiO and Ni─Bi(OH) are synthesized for efficient production of formate via simultaneous CORR and methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), achieving that the coupling of CORR//MOR only required 7.

Long-term PM2.5 exposure disrupts corneal epithelial homeostasis by impairing limbal stem/progenitor cells in humans and rat models.

Background: Limbal stem/progenitor cells (LSPCs) play a crucial role in maintaining corneal health by regulating epithelial homeostasis. Although PM2.5 is associated with the occurrence of several corneal diseases, its effects on LSPCs are not clearly understood.

Upregulation of EphA2 is associated with apoptosis in response to HO and UV radiation-induced cataracts.

In this article, we examine the role of erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular receptor A2 (EphA2) in the apoptosis of lens epithelial cells (LECs) in HO and UV radiation-induced cataracts. We treated SRA01/04 cells with HO or ultraviolet (UV) radiation to create a cataract cell model. We constructed a cataract lens model by exposing mice to UV radiation.

CHAC1 as a Novel Contributor of Ferroptosis in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells with Oxidative Damage.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible visual loss in the elderly population. With aging and the accumulated effects of environmental stress, retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are particularly susceptible to oxidative damage, which can lead to retinal degeneration. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of how RPE responds and progresses under oxidative damage are still largely unknown.

Airborne fine particulate matter (PM) damages the inner blood-retinal barrier by inducing inflammation and ferroptosis in retinal vascular endothelial cells.

This study was the first to explore the effect of airborne fine particulate matter (PM) exposure on the inner blood-retinal barrier (iBRB). In this study, retinal vascular permeability and diameter were enhanced in the PM-exposed animal model (1 mg/mL PM, 10 μL per eye, 4 times per day, 3 days), together with observable retinal edema and increased inflammation level in retina. PM-induced cell damage in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) occurred in a time- and dose-dependent manner.

Modeling congenital cataract in vitro using patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells.

Congenital cataracts are the leading cause of childhood blindness. To date, surgical removal of cataracts is the only established treatment, but surgery is associated with multiple complications, which often lead to visual impairment. Therefore, mechanistic studies and drug-candidate screening have been intrigued by the aims of developing novel therapeutic strategies.

Association between outpatient visits for pterygium and air pollution in Hangzhou, China.

Air pollution could be a risk factor for the development of pterygium. This study aimed to investigate the potential associations between outpatient visits for pterygium and air pollutants. Using a time-stratified case-crossover design, the data of 3017 outpatients with pterygium visiting an eye center in Hangzhou, China, and the air pollution data of the Environmental Protection Department of Zhejiang Province between July 1, 2014, and November 30, 2019, were examined.

Expression profiles of long noncoding RNAs in human corneal epithelial cells exposed to fine particulate matter.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression profiles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) exposed to fine particulate matter (PM) and to identify potential biological pathways involved in PM-induced toxicity in HCECs.

Methods: Using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and hierarchy clustering analysis, lncRNA expression profiles in PM-treated and untreated HCECs were examined. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed to predict the role of altered lncRNAs in biological processes and pathways.

Research advances in pathogenic mechanisms underlying air pollution-induced ocular surface diseases.

Background: The harmful effect of aerial fine particulate matter（PM）has been a serious public health issue and has attracted worldwide attention, especially in developing countries.

Main Text: Numerous previous clinical and experimental studies have demonstrated that PM has a clear pathogenic effect on diseases related to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Recent researches have pointed out that PM plays a pivotal role in the occurrence and progression of ocular surface diseases.

Boosting electrocatalytic reduction of nitrogen to ammonia under ambient conditions by alloy engineering.

Electrochemical reduction of nitrogen to ammonia under ambient conditions is regarded as a potential approach to tackle the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process. However, it usually suffers from extremely low ammonia yield and faradaic efficiency due to the lack of highly active and selective electrocatalysts. Herein, fusiform-like ruthenium-copper alloy nanosheets (RuCu-FNs) were prepared by alloy engineering and utilized for the electrocatalytic NRR under ambient conditions.

A highly efficient FeP/CeO-NF hybrid electrode for the oxygen evolution reaction.

Transition metal phosphides have been proven as highly efficient electrocatalysts. In this study, a FeP/CeO2-NF hybrid electrode was prepared by a simple electrodeposition and high-temperature phosphorization method. The electrode exhibits outstanding performance for the OER with an overpotential of only 245 mV at a current density of 100 mA cm-2, a Tafel slope as low as 39.

Long noncoding RNA THAP9-AS1 is induced by and promotes cell growth and migration of gastric cancer.

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been confirmed to play crucial roles in cancer biology. Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer related death, and () is the major risk factor for GC. In this study, we focused on the roles of -related lncRNAs in the progression of GC.

MiRNA-491-5p inhibits cell proliferation, invasion and migration via targeting JMJD2B and serves as a potential biomarker in gastric cancer.

Our previous work discovered that the histone demethylase JMJD2B (KDM4B) plays oncogenic roles in gastric carcinogenesis, but the regulatory mechanism of JMJD2B in gastric cancer has not been well defined. It has been revealed that microRNAs function as gene regulators by binding to the 3'UTR of mRNAs to inhibit gene expression. In this study, we found that miR-491-5p suppressed cell proliferation, invasion and migration by directly targeting the JMJD2B 3'UTR in gastric cancer.