[Vitamins and Immune System Health].

Keeping the immune system healthy forms an effective way to fight infections. Past experience has shown that, in addition to effective interventions including vaccination, drug therapy, and non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI), dietary nutrition and mental health are also key factors in maintaining immune system health and combating emerging and sudden outbreaks of infections. As the main dietary nutrients, vitamins are active regulators of the immune response and exert a critical impact on the immunity of the human body.

Predictors of short-term outcomes related to central subfield foveal thickness after intravitreal bevacizumab for macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion.

Aim: To investigate the predictive factors for short-term effects of intravitreal bevacizumab injections on central subfield foveal thickness (CSFT) in patients with macular edema (ME) secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

Methods: This was a retrospective study in 60 eyes treated with intravitreal bevacizumab injections for ME due to CRVO. Follow-up was three months.

Effect of lutein and zeaxanthin on macular pigment and visual function in patients with early age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To determine whether supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin improves macular pigment and visual function in patients with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Design: Randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial.

Participants: Participants with probable AMD who were 50 to 79 years of age were screened for study eligibility from the local communities.

Improvement of retinal function in early age-related macular degeneration after lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation: a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial.

Purpose: To examine the effects of lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation on retinal function using multifocal electroretinograms (mfERG) in patients with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Design: Randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial.

Methods: One hundred eight subjects with early AMD were randomly assigned to receive 10 mg/d lutein (n = 27), 20 mg/d lutein (n = 27), 10 mg/d lutein plus 10 mg/d zeaxanthin (n = 27), or placebo (n = 27) for 48 weeks.

Serum inflammatory factors in patients with idiopathic choroidal neovascularization.

Objective: To investigate serum inflammatory factors in patients with idiopathic choroidal vascularization (CNV), including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), Interleukin1-beta (IL1-β), IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, 50% hemolytic unit of complement (CH50), complement C3, complement C4 and C reactive protein (CRP).

Methods: 21 patients and 20 normal individuals were recruited. They received comprehensive ophthalmic examinations.

[Clinical manifestations of retinal artery macroaneurysms].

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics of retinal arterial macroaneurysm and to improve the diagnosis accuracy in order to differentiate it from other fundus diseases.

Methods: It was a retrospective case series.

Results: of fluorescein angiography or indocyanine angiography, associated with ultrasound, OCT and several other examinations were analyzed in 22 patients (22 eyes) with retinal arterial macroaneurysm.

[Measurement of macular edema in retinal vein occlusion using optical coherence tomography and its visual prognosis].

Objective: To examine the type of macular edema in patients with retinal vein occlusion by using optical coherence tomography (OCT). To compare the sensitivity and specificity between OCT and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA). To investigate the visual prognosis and risk factors in patients with cystoid macular edema (CME).

Induction of astrocytic cytoplasmic phospholipase A2 and neuronal death after intracerebroventricular carrageenan injection, and neuroprotective effects of quinacrine.

Glial reaction is often associated with nervous tissue injury, but thus far, few studies have examined whether it can be a cause of neuronal injury. We now study the effect of intracerebroventricular injection of a carrageenan on cytoplasmic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) expression and neuronal injury in the hippocampus. The enzyme cPLA(2) hydrolyzes neural membrane glycerophospholipids and generates precursors for proinflammatory mediators.

Increase in cholesterol and cholesterol oxidation products, and role of cholesterol oxidation products in kainate-induced neuronal injury.

Little is known about changes in sterols, in particular cholesterol, and cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) in oxidative injury in neural tissues. We have therefore examined changes in cholesterol and COPs using a model of excitotoxic injury. Intracerebroventricular injections of kainate in rats resulted in an increase in immunoreactivity to cholesterol in the affected CA fields of the hippocampus.

Quinacrine abolishes increases in cytoplasmic phospholipase A2 mRNA levels in the rat hippocampus after kainate-induced neuronal injury.

The present investigation was carried out to study the possible effects of quinacrine in modulating cytoplasmic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) mRNA levels in rat hippocampus after kainate treatment. Injections of kainate into the right lateral ventricle resulted in significant increases in cPLA(2) mRNA levels in the hippocampus, at 3 days and 7 days after injection. The elevation in cPLA(2) mRNA levels is consistent with previous observations of increased cPLA(2) immunoreactivity in degenerating neurons and astrocytes at these times.