Amniotic Membrane Transplantation for the Treatment of Infectious Ulcerative Keratitis Before Elective Penetrating Keratoplasty.

Purpose: Emergency keratoplasties for inflamed eyes are considered to have a worse prognosis because of immunologic graft rejection. Amniotic membranes have antiinflammatory and antiangiogenic abilities. Therefore, amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) was performed to stabilize the situation of eyes with severe infectious keratitis before elective penetrating keratoplasty (PK).

Aqueous humor glycation marker and plasma homocysteine in macular degeneration.

Background: We investigated concentrations of total homocysteine (tHcy) in elderly people without and those with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In addition, we tested the association between plasma tHcy and one glycation marker in aqueous humor.

Methods: People with cataract only (n=48), patients with dry AMD (n=38) and those with wet AMD (n=31) were studied.

Synthesis and properties of (triptycenedicarboxylatio)zinc coordination networks.

(Triptycenedicarboxylato)zinc metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based on paddle wheel secondary building units (SBUs) with different axial ligands have been prepared. The reproducible formation of the layered paddle-wheel structures from triptycenedicarboxylic acid (H(2)TDC) and zinc nitrate under various conditions seems to be characteristic of this acid and is utilized for the construction of 3D frameworks by a pillaring approach. We attempted to bring additional functionalities into MOFs by employing the appropriate pillaring ligands, for example, bis(4-pyridyl)-s-tetrazine and bis(4-pyridyl)-dimethoxy-p-phenylenedivinylene, and investigated certain properties of some MOF materials, such as guest-exchange behavior, luminescence, microporosity, and stability.

MMP-2 and MMP-9 secretion by rpe is stimulated by angiogenic molecules found in choroidal neovascular membranes.

Purpose: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and -9 play an important role in the pathogenesis of choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) are an important source of MMPs in the outer retinal environment, however little is known about the local factors that modulate MMP secretion in these cells. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of CNV involved growth factors and the extracellular matrix molecule fibronectin on MMP-2 and -9 secretion by cultured human RPE.

The structure of the strongest Brønsted acid: the carborane acid H(CHB11Cl11).

The strongest and most robust carborane acid, H(CHB11Cl11), has a monomeric structure in the gas phase. IR spectra show two nuH-Cl bands at 2357(br) and 2066(br) cm-1 which, together with DFT calculations, indicate the coexistence of at least two isomers. The acidic proton bridges adjacent chlorine atoms with asymmetric Cl-H.

Novel weak coordination to silylium ions: formation of nearly linear Si-H-Si bonds.

The weakly coordinating carborane anion in ion-like trialkylsilyl species R3Si(CHB11Cl11) can be displaced by nucleophiles as weak as ortho-dichlorobenzene, SO2 and trialkylsilanes, the latter forming nearly linear hydride bridges in R3Si-H-SiR3+ cations.

Sequential induction of angiogenic growth factors by TNF-alpha in choroidal endothelial cells.

Inflammatory mediators have been proposed to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of choroidal neovascularization, a blinding complication of age-related macular degeneration. We evaluated the expression of TNF-alpha in human choroidal neovascular membranes and found that it colocalized with cells expressing VEGF, angiopoietin (Ang)-1 and Ang2. In cultured choroidal endothelial cells we found that TNF-alpha increased Ang2 mRNA (increased transcription) and protein levels prior to those of Ang1 and VEGF.

Inhibitory effects of verapamil isomers on the proliferation of choroidal endothelial cells.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of verapamil isomers on in vitro proliferation of bovine choroidal endothelial cells (CECs).

Materials And Methods: CECs were isolated from bovine eyes and cultured in endothelial growth medium (EGM). For the proliferation assays, CECs were exposed to verapamil isomers (0.

Simultaneous multiple immunoassays in a compact disc-shaped microfluidic device based on centrifugal force.

Background: We explored the potential of a microfluidic device based on centrifugal force as an immunoassay platform by examining the imprecision of assays carried out with 200 nL of sample.

Methods: Biotinylated antibodies against alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and carcinoembryonic antigen [(CEA); 0.1 g/L each in 15 mmol/L phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing 0.

Impact of endostatin on bFGF-induced proliferation, migration, and matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression/secretion of bovine choroidal endothelial cells.

Purpose: To investigate the potential role of endostatin, an endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor, in the prevention of choroidal angiogenesis-related disorders.

Methods: Bovine choroidal endothelial cells (CEC) were cultured and treated with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) alone or combined with endostatin at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 10 microg/ml.

A selective cyclic integrin antagonist blocks the integrin receptors alphavbeta3 and alphavbeta5 and inhibits retinal pigment epithelium cell attachment, migration and invasion.

Background: Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is a leading cause of blindness after failed retinal reattachment surgery. PVR is characterized by the proliferation, migration and contraction of retinal pigmented epithelial cells (RPE), and these cellular responses are influenced by the expression and function of integrin receptors. The effect of a cyclic integrin antagonist containing the amino acid sequence Arg-Gly-Asp-D-Phe-Val (RGDfV), specific for the integrin receptors alphavbeta3 and alphavbeta5, was investigated on basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), platelet derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), and serum induced human RPE proliferation, migration, invasion and attachment to the extracellular matrix.

The structure of the H3O+ hydronium ion in benzene.

Infrared, X-ray structural, 1H NMR, and computational evidence for pi-solvation of H3O+ by benzene molecules is presented. A salt with a discrete [H3O.3benzene]+ cation can be isolated using a very weakly interacting carborane counterion, CHB11Cl11-.

Carboxyamido-triazole modulates retinal pigment epithelial and choroidal endothelial cell attachment, migration, proliferation, and MMP-2 secretion of choroidal endothelial cells.

Purpose: To determine the effect of the calcium signaling modulating drug carboxyamido-triazole (CAI) on substeps of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in vitro.

Materials And Methods: Zymography and ELISA determined the effect of CAI on MMP-2 production of choroidal endothelial cells (CECs) stimulated by bFGF and VEGF. The effects of CAI on attachment of retinal pigment endothelial (RPE) cells/CECs onto fibronectin, laminin, collagen IV, and migration toward fibronectin were investigated.

Endohedral zintl ions: intermetalloid clusters.

Tetrels can be regarded as most promising candidates for the construction of larger clusters. Recent examples have shown that larger clusters are particularly stable if they contain interstitial atoms (e.g.

Molecular structure of the solvated proton in isolated salts. Short, strong, low barrier (SSLB) H-bonds.

Large, inert, weakly basic carborane anions of the icosahedral type CHB(11)R(5)X(6)(-) (R = H, Me; X = Cl, Br) allow ready isolation and structural characterization of discrete salts of the solvated proton, [H(solvent)(x)][CHB(11)R(5)X(6)], (solvent = common O-atom donor). These oxonium ion Brønsted acids are convenient reagents for the tuned delivery of protons to organic solvents with a specified number of donor solvent molecules and with acidities leveled to those of the chosen donor solvent. They have greater thermal stability than the popular [H(OEt(2))(2)][BAr(F)] acids based on fluorinated tetraphenylborate counterions because carborane anions can sustain much higher levels of acidity.

Advanced glycation end products quench nitric oxide in vitro.

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is known as an important mediator of endothelial function. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the influence of mediators of retinal pathology - vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) - on NO release from choroidal endothelial cells (CEC) and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells to elucidate the complex role of NO.

Methods: Bovine CEC were stimulated using VEGF (1, 10, and 100 ng/ml), and RPE cells were exposed to interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma 100 U/ml) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS 1 micro g/ml).

Role and function of the 26S proteasome in proliferation and apoptosis.

The 26S proteasome constitutes the central proteolytic machinery of the highly conserved ubiquitin/proteasome system, the cell's major tool for extralysosomal protein degradation. Recently, a plethora of cell proteins implicated in the regulation of basic cellular processes, such as proliferation, differentiation, cell cycling, and apoptosis have been discovered to undergo processing and functional limitation by entering the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway with the final destination to be proteolytically degraded by the 26S proteasome. Because both negative and positive regulators of proliferation and apoptosis undergo proteasomal degradation in a tightly regulated and temporally controlled fashion, the 26S proteasome can play opposite roles in the regulation of proliferation and apoptosis.

Inhibitory effects of triamcinolone acetonide on bFGF-induced migration and tube formation in choroidal microvascular endothelial cells.

Background: Angiostatic drugs might provide desirable modulation of choroidal angiogenesis-related diseases, including histoplasmosis and the exudative form of age-related macular degeneration. However, the precise effects of this class of compounds in the choroidal neovascularization are still unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effects of triamcinolone acetonide (TA), an angiostatic steroid, on choroidal angiogenesis in vitro.