Molecular hydrogen promotes retinal vascular regeneration and attenuates neovascularization and neuroglial dysfunction in oxygen-induced retinopathy mice.

Background: Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a proliferative retinal vascular disease occurring in the retina of premature infants and is the main cause of childhood blindness. Nowadays anti-VEGF and retinal photocoagulation are mainstream treatments for ROP, but they develop a variety of complications. Hydrogen (H) is widely considered as a useful neuroprotective and antioxidative therapeutic method for hypoxic-ischemic disease without toxic effects.

Alterations in Adipocytokine Signaling Pathway and Pyroptosis in Neonatal Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy.

Aims: The aims of this study are to discover dysregulated adipocytokine signaling pathway and pyroptosis-related genes to predict neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) occurrence.

Background: HIE is an important cause of infant death and long-term neurological sequelae. Current treatment options for HIE are relatively limited and the pathogenesis of HIE remains to be fully explored.

Characteristics of Visual Function in Children With Cerebral Palsy and Intellectual Disabilities in Urban Beijing.

Objective: To investigate ocular development and the characteristics of visual function among children with cerebral palsy (CP) and intellectual disabilities in Beijing's Chaoyang District schools.

Methods: A total of 160 children (320 eyes) with CP and intellectual disabilities, including 86 males and 74 females aged between 6 and 18 years old (median, 13.5 years), were included in this study.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Patients With Duane Retraction Syndrome.

Background: Duane retraction syndrome (DRS) is known to relate to the absence of the abducens nucleus, with abnormal innervation of the lateral rectus (LR) muscle by branchesof the oculomotor nerve (CN III). The purposes of this study were to investigate the morphological characteristics of the oculomotor nerve (CN III), the abducens nerve (CN VI), and the extraocular muscles in patients with clinically diagnosed Duane retraction syndrome (DRS) using MRI. In addition, we assessed the association between ocular motility, horizontal rectus muscle volumes, and CN III/VI in patients with Duane retraction syndrome (DRS).

Wolfberry water extract attenuates blue light-emitting diode damage to ARPE-19 cells and mouse retina by activating the NRF2 signaling pathway.

The wolfberry is believed to improve eyesight in traditional Chinese medicine. Soaking wolfberry in thermos cups has become a common health-preserving practice. The object of this paper was to research the protective effects of wolfberry water extract (WWE) on oxidative injury induced by blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in ARPE-19 cells and C57BL/6J mice.

Refractive errors and ocular findings in children and adolescents with mental disorders: a retrospective study.

Background: An increasing prevalence of mental disorders (MDs) has been reported among children and adolescents. However, only few studies have conducted ocular examinations, including those on refractive status, in these groups of patients. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the refractive status and ocular findings in children and adolescents with MDs compared with matched controls with similar socioeconomic backgrounds.

Dietary astaxanthin-rich extract ameliorates atherosclerosis/retinopathy and restructures gut microbiome in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice fed on a high-fat diet.

: Atherosclerosis (AS) is the leading cause of ischemic disease. However, the anti-AS effects of astaxanthin and its potential mechanisms remain unclear. This study is aimed to investigate the function of astaxanthin-rich extract (ASTE) on AS and gut microbiota as well as the difference from atorvastatin (ATO) in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE) mice.

The effect of a chrysanthemum water extract in protecting the retina of mice from light damage.

Background: Oxidative stress can induce age-related diseases. Age-related retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), are difficult to cure owing to their complicated mechanisms. Although anti-neovascular therapeutics are used to treat wet AMD, vision cannot always be completely restored, and disease progression cannot always be inhibited.

Purple sweet potato extract maintains intestinal homeostasis and extend lifespan through increasing autophagy in female Drosophila melanogaster.

Purple sweet potatoes extract (PSPE) have been used as a natural food antioxidant with high anthocyanin concentrations. Research investigated the lifespan and the mechanisms of PSPE on female Drosophila melanogaster. Supplementation of PSPE extended the lifespan by 16.

Co-existence of myopia and amblyopia in a guinea pig model with monocular form deprivation.

Background: Form deprivation myopia is a type of ametropia, with identifiable causes in humans, that has been induced in many animals. The age of onset of myopia induced by monocular form deprivation coincides with the period of visual development in guinea pigs. However, visual acuity of form-deprived eyes in guinea pigs is not understood yet.

Phlorizin exerts potent effects against aging induced by D-galactose in mice and PC12 cells.

Phlorizin is the main active ingredient of apple peel and has potential utilization value. Some recent studies have suggested that phlorizin may have antioxidant capacity and protect the liver. The injection of a low dose of d-galactose can cause some changes that resemble accelerated aging in mice.

Effects of high-fat diet and Apoe deficiency on retinal structure and function in mice.

To investigate the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) and apolipoprotein E (Apoe) deficiency on retinal structure and function in mice. Apoe KO mice and wild-type C57BL/6J mice were given a low-fat diet (LFD) or a HFD for 32 weeks. Blood glucose, serum lipids, body weight and visceral fat weight were evaluated.

Ursolic acid alleviates lipid accumulation by activating the AMPK signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro.

The mechanism underlying the effect of ursolic acid (UA) on lipid metabolism remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the mechanisms of UA in reducing lipid accumulation in free fatty acids-cultured HepG2 cells and in high-fat-diet-fed C57BL/6J mice. In vivo, UA effectively alleviated liver steatosis and decreased the size of adipocytes in the epididymis.

Dietary Supplementation of Black Rice Anthocyanin Extract Regulates Cholesterol Metabolism and Improves Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis in C57BL/6J Mice Fed a High-Fat and Cholesterol Diet.

Scope: This study explores the beneficial effects of dietary supplementation of black rice anthocyanin extract (BRAE) on cholesterol metabolism and gut dysbiosis.

Methods And Results: C57BL/6J mice are grouped into the normal chow diet group (NCD), the high-fat and the cholesterol diet group (HCD), and three treatment groups feeding HCD supplemented with various dosage of BRAE for 12 weeks. Results reveal that BRAE alleviates the increased body weight, serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (non-HDL-C), and increased fecal sterols excretion and caecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentration in HCD-induced hypercholesterolemic mice.

Interaction mechanism of carnosic acid against glycosidase (α-amylase and α-glucosidase).

Inhibition the activity of glycosidase is an effective method for the treatment and prevention of diabetes. In this study, enzymatic kinetics, fluorescence spectrum experiment, starch granule digestion, molecular docking studies and animal's studies were used to investigate the interaction mechanism of carnosic acid against two glycosidase (α-amylase and α-glucosidase). Enzymatic kinetics showed that carnosic acid inhibited α-amylase activity in a competitive manner and α-glucosidase activity in a non-competitive manner.

Comparison of immersion ultrasound and low coherence reflectometry for ocular biometry in cataract patients.

Aim: To compare the results of axial length (AL) biometry in cataract eyes by three methods: immersion B-ultrasound (IB) biometry, immersion A-ultrasound (IA) biometry and optical low coherence reflectometry.

Methods: In this prospective observational study of eyes with cataract AL measurements were performed using immersion ultrasound and optical low coherence reflectometry device. The results were evaluated using Bland-Altman analyses.

[The developmental switch of visual cortex NMDA receptor NR2 subunits and its implications for visual plasticity].

Many forms of synaptic plasticity require NMDA-type glutamate receptors (NMDAR). These tetrameric receptors consist of two obligatory NR1 subunits and two regulatory subunits, usually a combination of NR2A and NR2B. In the neonatal visual cortex NR2B-containing NMDAR predominate, after thatvisual experience facilitates a developmental switch in which NR2A levels increase relative to NR2B.

Effect of piperlongumine on drug resistance reversal in human retinoblastoma HXO-RB44/VCR and SO-Rb50/CBP cell lines.

Piperlongumine (PLGM) was considered as an anti-cancer agent since it was involved in suppressing of many types of cancer. To investigate the functions and mechanisms of PLGM on drug resistance reversal in human retinoblastoma cell lines, drug resistance cell lines HXO-RB44/VCR and SO-Rb50/CBP were established. We found that after treatment with PLGM, drug sensitivity and apoptosis rate of these drug resistance cancer cells were improved, cell cycle was arrested, the expressions of P-gp, MDR1, MRP1, Top-II, GST-π, Survivin, Bcl-2, CDK1, ABCB1 and ABCG1 was decreased, while the activities of caspase-3/8 and intracellular content of Rh-123 was increased.

Dark exposure extends the integration window for spike-timing-dependent plasticity.

Metaplasticity, the adaptive changes of long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) in response to fluctuations in neural activity is well documented in visual cortex, where dark rearing shifts the frequency threshold for the induction of LTP and LTD. Here we studied metaplasticity affecting spike-timing-dependent plasticity, in which the polarity of plasticity is determined not by the stimulation frequency, but by the temporal relationship between near-coincidental presynaptic and postsynaptic firing. We found that in mouse visual cortex the same regime of deprivation that restricts the frequency range for inducing rate-dependent LTD extends the integration window for inducing timing-dependent LTD, enabling LTD induction with random presynaptic and postsynaptic firing.

Association of OPA1 polymorphisms with NTG and HTG: a meta-analysis.

Background: Genetic polymorphisms of the Optic atrophy 1 gene have been implicated in altering the risk of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), especially the susceptibility to normal tension glaucoma (NTG), but the results remain controversial.

Methods: Multiple electronic databases (up to January 20, 2012) were searched independently by two investigators. A meta-analysis was performed on the association between Optic atrophy 1 polymorphisms (rs 166850 and rs 10451941) and normal tension glaucoma (NTG)/high tension glaucoma (HTG).