CD44 Drives M1 Macrophage Polarization in Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose: Diabetic retinopathy is a typical complication of diabetes, which can facilitate the risk of blindness in severe cases. We sought to determine the function of CD44 in inflammatory responses of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) and macrophage polarization during diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: The hub genes were tested based on two datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus database.

Downregulation of c-Myc in pterygium and cultured pterygial cells.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine c-Myc expression in pterygial tissue and in cultured fibroblasts and epithelial cells of pterygia, using normal human conjunctival samples as a control.

Methods: Expression of c-Myc in pterygium and normal human conjunctiva tissue was examined by immunohistochemical assay and Western blot. Fibroblasts and epithelial cells from primary pterygium and normal human conjunctiva were cultured in medium with or without transforming growth factor beta1 for up to 3 days.

Continuously changed genes during postnatal periods in rat visual cortex.

The current study aimed to determine genes that changed continuously throughout the postnatal developmental process of the rat visual cortex. Tissue samples were taken at postnatal day 0, day 10 (before eye opening), day 20 (before the critical period) and day 45 (end of development) and subjected to microarray and real-time RT-PCR analyses. A temporal pattern of expression was revealed for 24 genes that continuously increased (18 genes) or decreased (6 genes) as visual cortex development progressed and were common among all age groups.

HSV-1 infection suppresses TGF-beta1 and SMAD3 expression in human corneal epithelial cells.

Purpose: The present study was undertaken to investigate whether transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) isoforms (TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, and TGF-beta3) and SMADs (SMAD2 and SMAD3) are involved in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) corneal infection.

Methods: Human corneal epithelial cells (HCE) were infected with HSV-1 at a multiplicity of infection of 5. Cell morphological changes were observed under phase-contrast microscopy.

[Effects of all-trans retinoic acid on the rat Müller cell in vitro].

Purpose: To investigate the effects of various concentrations of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) on the rat Müller cells in vitro.

Methods: A rat Müller cell line was used in this study. Rat Müller cells were cultured with varying levels of RA for 24 h to 48 h.

[Analysis of fund sponsored articles from five ophthalmologic journals in 2005].

Objective: To reveal the features of fund sponsored articles and the status of scientific research by analyzing fund sponsored articles from 5 ophthalmologic journals in Chinese.

Methods: Five ophthalmologic journals (Chinese Journal of Ophthalmology, Chinese Journal of Ocular Trauma and Occupational Eye Disease with Ophthalmic Surgery, Chinese Ophthalmic Research, Chinese Journal of Practical Ophthalmology, Chinese Journal Ocular Fundus Disease) published in Chinese in 2005 were selected for this study. The amount, the distribution of region, the number of co-authors, the research direction, the number of funds obtained by each paper and the distribution of subjects in various research fields of fund sponsored articles were calculated by quantitative analysis methods.