Ultrasound-targeted cationic microbubble-mediated gene transfection and inhibition of retinal neovascularization.

Aim: To investigate whether ultrasound-targeted cationic microbubbles (CMBs) destruction could deliver endostatin-green fluorescent protein (GFP) plasmids efficiently to the human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs) and inhibit retinal neovascularization in mice.

Methods: CMBs were prepared and the presentation of GFP reporter was confirmed by flow cytometry and laser confocal microscopy. Experiments assessing HRECs migration and vascular formation were performed to evaluate gene therapy's efficiency A mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy was employed and the expression of Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endostatin in the retina of mice were determined by Western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

Clinical relevance of the glucocorticoid receptor gene polymorphisms in glucocorticoid-induced ocular hypertension and primary open angle glaucoma.

Aim: To avoid the side effects of ocular hypertension of glucocorticoid (GC) usage in eye, we must identify susceptible individuals, which exists in about one-third of all population. Further, the majority of all primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients show this phenotype. Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) regulates C responsiveness in trabecular meshwork (TM) cells.

Quantitation of 47 human tear proteins using high resolution multiple reaction monitoring (HR-MRM) based-mass spectrometry.

Unlabelled: Tear proteins are intimately related to the pathophysiology of the ocular surface. Many recent studies have demonstrated that the tear is an accessible fluid for studying eye diseases and biomarker discovery. This study describes a high resolution multiple reaction monitoring (HR-MRM) approach for developing assays for quantification of biologically important tear proteins.

Association between polymorphisms in lysyl oxidase-like 1 and susceptibility to pseudoexfoliation syndrome and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.

The present knowledge on the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEXS) and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEXG) is controversial and inconclusive. This meta-analysis sought to derive a more precise estimation of the effects of LOXL1 SNP loci (rs1048661, rs3825942, and rs2165241) on PEXS/PEXG. Literature searches were conducted on the PubMed, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases through October 2013.

Experimental research of RB94 gene transfection into retinoblastoma cells using ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction.

The purpose of this study was to explore the transfection of the recombinant expression plasmid pEGFP-C1/RB94 into human retinoblastoma cells (HXO-Rb44) using ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD). pEGFP-C1/RB94 was transfected into HXO-Rb44 in vitro by UTMD, with liposome as the positive control. After 24 to 72 h, the expression of the reporter gene enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was observed using fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry.

Prevalence of eye diseases and causes of visual impairment in school-aged children in Western China.

Background: The present study investigated the prevalence of refractive error, visual impairment, and eye diseases in school-aged children in western China.

Methods: The survey was done in a representative county (Yongchuan District, Chongqing Municipality) of western China. Cluster random sampling was used to select children aged 6 to 15 years.

Elevation of plasma membrane permeability upon laser irradiation of extracellular microbubbles.

Laser-mediated gene transfection has received much attention as a new method for targeted gene therapy because of the high controllability of laser energy and direction. In this report, we describe a combination laser-microbubble system that enables membrane-impermeable molecules to penetrate cell membranes. The main theories we apply are optical breakdown and photoacoustic generation, which are induced by laser irradiation.

Ultrasound-mediated microbubble delivery of pigment epithelium-derived factor gene into retina inhibits choroidal neovascularization.

Background: Many studies have suggested that the imbalance of angiogenic factor and anti-angiogenic factor expression contributes significantly to the development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV), and ultrasound microbubble combination system can increase the gene transfection efficiency successfully. This study was designed to investigate whether ultrasound-mediated microbubble destruction could effectively deliver therapeutic plasmid into the retina of rat, and whether gene transfer of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) could inhibit CNV.

Methods: Human retinal pigment epithelial cells were isolated and treated either with ultrasound or plasmid alone, or with a combination of plasmid, ultrasound and microbubbles to approach feasibility of microbubble-enhanced ultrasound enhance PEDF gene expression; For in vivo animal studies, CNV was induced by argon lasgon laser in rats.

Knockdown of damage-specific DNA binding protein 1 (DDB1) enhances the HBx-siRNA-mediated inhibition of HBV replication.

Recent studies have demonstrated that the effect of inhibition of HBV replication can be achieved by RNA interference (RNAi) at both the cellular and organismal levels. However, HBV replication cannot be completely inhibited by this method. To completely inhibit HBV replication, new strategies for improving the inhibition efficacy of HBV-specific siRNAs are needed.