Population-based survey of prevalence, causes, and risk factors for blindness and visual impairment in an aging Chinese metropolitan population.

Aim: To assess the prevalence, causes, and risk factors for blindness and visual impairment among elderly (≥60 years of age) Chinese people in a metropolitan area of Shanghai, China.

Methods: Random cluster sampling was conducted to identify participants among residents ≥60 years of age living in the Xietu Block, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China. Presenting visual acuity (PVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were checked by the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual chart.

MMP9 is involved in glycation end-products induced increase of retinal vascular permeability in rats and the therapeutic effect of minocycline.

Purpose: To determine the role of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) in advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) induced damage to blood-retinal barrier (BRB) and the therapeutic effects of minocycline, an MMP inhibitor, against the BRB damages.

Methods: Forty-eight Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups (16/group): A control group treated with bovine serum albumin (BSA), an AGE-BSA treated group, and a group treated with minocycline after AGE-BSA treatment. The retinas of all the animals were collected 2 weeks after treatment, and the levels of MMP9 protein and mRNA were detected by Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and semi-quantitative RT-PCR.