Experimental eye research最新文献

{"title":"Techniques for imaging the choroid and choroidal blood flow in vivo","authors":"Bingyao Tan ,&nbsp;Jacqueline Chua ,&nbsp;Damon Wong ,&nbsp;Xinyu Liu ,&nbsp;Munirah Ismail ,&nbsp;Leopold Schmetterer","doi":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110045","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110045","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The choroid, which is a highly vascularized layer between the retina and sclera, is essential for supplying oxygen and nutrients to the outer retina. Choroidal vascular dysfunction has been implicated in numerous ocular diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, central serous chorioretinopathy, polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, and myopia. Traditionally, the in vivo assessment of choroidal blood flow relies on techniques such as laser Doppler flowmetry, laser speckle flowgraphy, pneumotonometry, laser interferometry, and ultrasonic color Doppler imaging. While the aforementioned methods have provided valuable insights into choroidal blood flow regulation, their clinical applications have been limited. Recent advancements in optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography have expanded our understanding of the choroid, allowing detailed visualization of the larger choroidal vessels and choriocapillaris, respectively. This review provides an overview of the available techniques that can investigate the choroid and its blood flow in vivo. Future research should combine these techniques to comprehensively image the entire choroidal microcirculation and develop robust methods to quantify choroidal blood flow. The potential findings will provide a better picture of choroidal hemodynamics and its effect on ocular health and disease.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12177,"journal":{"name":"Experimental eye research","volume":"247 ","pages":"Article 110045"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141999663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Non-endothelial expression of endomucin in the mouse and human choroid","authors":"Elysse Brookins ,&nbsp;Sophia E. Serrano ,&nbsp;Zain Hyder ,&nbsp;George S. Yacu ,&nbsp;Gal Finer ,&nbsp;Benjamin R. Thomson","doi":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110054","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110054","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Endomucin (EMCN) is a 261 amino acid transmembrane glycoprotein that is highly expressed by venous and capillary endothelial cells where it plays a role in VEGF-mediated angiogenesis and regulation of immune cell recruitment. However, it is better known as a histological marker, where it has become widespread due to the commercial availability of high-quality antibodies that work under a wide range of conditions and in many tissues. The specificity of EMCN staining has been well-validated in retinal vessels, but while it has been used extensively as a marker in other tissues of the eye, including the choroid, the pattern of expression has not been described in detail. Here, in addition to endothelial expression in the choriocapillaris and deeper vascular layers, we characterize a population of EMCN-positive perivascular cells in the mouse choroid that did not co-localize with cells expressing other endothelial markers such as PECAM1 or PODXL. To confirm that these cells represented a new population of EMCN-expressing stromal cells, we then performed single cell RNA sequencing in choroids from adult wild-type mice. Analysis of this new dataset confirmed that, in addition to endothelial cells, <em>Emcn</em> mRNA expression was present in choroidal pericytes and a subset of fibroblasts, but not vascular smooth muscle cells. Besides <em>Emcn</em>, no known endothelial gene expression was detected in these cell populations, confirming that they did not represent endothelial-stromal doublets, a common technical artifact in single cell RNA seq datasets. Instead, choroidal <em>Emcn</em>-expressing fibroblasts exhibited high levels of chemokine and interferon signaling genes, while <em>Emcn</em>-negative fibroblasts were enriched in genes encoding extracellular matrix proteins. <em>Emcn</em> expressing fibroblasts were also detected in published datasets from mouse brain and human choroid, suggesting that stromal <em>Emcn</em> expression was not unique to the choroid and was evolutionarily conserved. Together, these findings highlight unique fibroblast and pericyte populations in the choroid and provide new context for the role of EMCN in the eye.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12177,"journal":{"name":"Experimental eye research","volume":"247 ","pages":"Article 110054"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141995612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impaired dopamine signaling in early diabetic retina: Insights from D1R and D4R agonist effects on whole retina responses","authors":"Angela R. MacIsaac ,&nbsp;Andrea J. Wellington ,&nbsp;Kyle Filicetti ,&nbsp;Erika D. Eggers","doi":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110049","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110049","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The retina has low dopamine levels early in diabetes. To determine how low dopamine levels affected dopamine signaling, the effects of dopamine receptor agonists and mRNA localization were measured after 6 weeks of diabetes. Whole retina <em>ex vivo</em> electroretinogram (ERG) recordings were used to analyze how dopamine type 1 receptor (D1R) and type 4 (D4R) agonists change the light-evoked retinal responses of non-diabetic and 6-week diabetic (STZ injected) mouse retinas. Fluorescence <em>in situ</em> hybridization was utilized to analyze D4R and D1R mRNA locations and expression levels. D4R activation reduced A- and B-wave ERG amplitudes and increased B-wave implicit time and rise-time in the non-diabetic group without a corresponding change in the diabetic group. D1R activation increased B-wave rise-time and oscillatory potential peak time in the non-diabetic group also with no change in the diabetic group. The lack of responsivity to D1R or D4R agonists shows an impairment of dopamine signaling in the diabetic retina. D4R mRNA was found primarily in the outer nuclear layer where photoreceptor cell bodies reside. D1R mRNA was found in the inner nuclear layer and ganglion cell layer that contain bipolar, amacrine, horizontal and ganglion cells. There was no change in D4R or D1R mRNA expression between the non-diabetic and diabetic retinas. This suggests that the significant dopamine signaling changes observed were not from lower receptor expression levels but could be due to changes in dopamine receptor activity or protein levels. These studies show that changes in retinal dopamine signaling could be an important mechanism of diabetic retinal dysfunction.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12177,"journal":{"name":"Experimental eye research","volume":"247 ","pages":"Article 110049"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141995610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Melanopsin in the human and chicken choroid","authors":"Christian Platzl ,&nbsp;Alexandra Kaser-Eichberger ,&nbsp;Andrea Trost ,&nbsp;Clemens Strohmaier ,&nbsp;Richard Stone ,&nbsp;Debora Nickla ,&nbsp;Falk Schroedl","doi":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110053","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110053","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The choroid embedded in between retina and sclera is essential for retinal photoreceptor nourishment, but is also a source of growth factors in the process of emmetropization that converts retinal visual signals into scleral growth signals. Still, the exact control mechanisms behind those functions are enigmatic while circadian rhythms are involved. These rhythms are attributed to daylight influences that are melanopsin (OPN4) driven. Recently, OPN4-mRNA has been detected in the choroid, and while its origin is unknown we here seek to identify the underlying structures using morphological methods.</p><p>Human and chicken choroids were prepared for single- and double-immunohistochemistry of OPN4, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), substance P (SP), CD68, and α-smooth muscle actin (ASMA). For documentation, light-, fluorescence-, and confocal laser scanning microscopy was applied. Retinal controls proved the reliability of the OPN4 antibody in both species.</p><p>In humans, OPN4 immunoreactivity (OPN4-IR) was detected in nerve fibers of the choroid and adjacent ciliary nerve fibers. OPN4+ choroidal nerve fibers lacked VIP, but were co-localized with SP. OPN4-immunoreactivity was further detected in VIP+/SP + intrinsic choroidal neurons, in a hitherto unclassified CD68-negative choroidal cell population thus not representing macrophages, as well as in a subset of choroidal melanocytes. In chicken, choroidal nerve fibers were OPN4+, and further OPN4-IR was detected in clustered suprachoroidal structures that were not co-localized with ASMA and therefore do not represent non-vascular smooth-muscle cells. In the choroidal stroma, numerous cells displayed OPN4-IR, the majority of which was VIP-, while a few of those co-localized with VIP and were therefore classified as avian intrinsic choroidal neurons. OPN4-immunoreactivity was absent in choroidal blood vessels of both species.</p><p>In summary, OPN4-IR was detected in both species in nerve fibers and cells, some of which could be identified (ICN, melanocytes in human), while others could not be classified yet. Nevertheless, the OPN4+ structures described here might be involved in developmental, light-, thermally-driven or nociceptive mechanisms, as known from other systems, but with respect to choroidal control this needs to be proven in upcoming studies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12177,"journal":{"name":"Experimental eye research","volume":"247 ","pages":"Article 110053"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014483524002744/pdfft?md5=99886edbc4e59d65ced1e5894d5772ee&pid=1-s2.0-S0014483524002744-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141995611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"S100A9-TLR4 axis aggravates dry eye through the blockage of autophagy","authors":"Lihong Liang ,&nbsp;Xue Yang ,&nbsp;Hao Zeng,&nbsp;Kai Liao,&nbsp;Runze Zhang,&nbsp;Bowen Wang,&nbsp;Jin Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110052","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110052","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This research focused on how upregulation of S100A9 contributed to the pathogenesis of the dry eye disease (DED) and whether S100A9 served as a promising therapeutic target in DED. Public single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of a lacrimal gland excision (LGE) murine DED model was analyzed. LGE model was established and expression of protein was measured through immunofluorescence and Western blot. DED-related signs were evaluated through tear secretion and fluorescent staining. TUNEL was performed to detect the level of cell death. Briefly, S100A9 was recognized as a highly variable gene in the DED group. LGE model was successfully established, and S100A9 showed a time-dependent increase in the corneal epithelia. Autophagic blockage was predicted by the scRNA-seq data in DED, and further verified by decrease of LC3B-II/LC3B-I and increase of SQSTM1 and p-mTOR/mTOR, while S100A9 inhibitor paquinimod (PAQ) reversed the changes. PAQ also downregulated TLR4, and inhibition of TLR4 also alleviated autophagic blockage in DED. Finally, signs of DED, chronic corneal inflammation and cell death got a remission after either inhibition of S100A9 or TLR4. In general, we deduced a S100A9-TLR4-Autophagic blockage pathway in the pathogenesis of DED.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12177,"journal":{"name":"Experimental eye research","volume":"247 ","pages":"Article 110052"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141995614","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography and scleral collagen fiber orientation in osteogenesis imperfecta","authors":"Sara J.E. Verdonk ,&nbsp;Joy Willemse ,&nbsp;Vincent S. Zoutenbier ,&nbsp;Sanne Treurniet ,&nbsp;Lucas J. Maillette de Buy Wenniger ,&nbsp;Ebba A.E. Ghyczy ,&nbsp;Katie R. Curro ,&nbsp;Patrick J. González ,&nbsp;Dimitra Micha ,&nbsp;E. Marelise W. Eekhoff ,&nbsp;Johannes F. de Boer","doi":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110048","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110048","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a rare genetic connective tissue disorder, primarily arises from pathogenic variants affecting the production or structure of collagen type I. In addition to skeletal fragility, individuals with OI may face an increased risk of developing ophthalmic diseases. This association is believed to stem from the widespread presence of collagen type I throughout various parts of the eye. However, the precise consequences of abnormal collagen type I on different ocular tissues remain unknown. Of particular significance is the sclera, where collagen type I is abundant and crucial for maintaining the structural integrity of the eye. Recent research on healthy individuals has uncovered a unique organizational pattern of collagen fibers within the sclera, characterized by fiber arrangement in both circular and radial layers around the optic nerve head. While the precise function of this organizational pattern remains unclear, it is hypothesized to play a role in providing mechanical support to the optic nerve. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of abnormal collagen type I on the sclera by assessing the fiber organization near the optic nerve head in individuals with OI and comparing them to healthy individuals. Collagen fiber orientation of the sclera was measured using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT), an extension of the conventional OCT that is sensitive to materials that exhibit birefringence (axial changes in light refraction). Birefringence was quantified and used as imaging contrast to extract collagen fiber orientation as well as the thickness of the radially oriented scleral layer. Three individuals with OI, exhibiting different degrees of disease severity, were assessed and analyzed, along with seventeen healthy individuals. Mean values obtained from individuals with OI were descriptively compared to those of the healthy participant group. PS-OCT revealed a similar orientation pattern of scleral collagen fibers around the optic nerve head between OI individuals and healthy individuals. However, two OI participants exhibited reduced mean birefringence of the radially oriented scleral layer compared to the healthy participant group (OI participant 1 oculus dexter et sinister (ODS): 0.34°/μm, OI participant 2: ODS 0.26°/μm, OI participant 3: OD: 0.29°/μm, OS: 0.28°/μm, healthy participants: ODS 0.38 ± 0.05°/μm). The radially oriented scleral layer was thinner in all OI participants although within ±2 standard deviations of the mean observed in healthy individuals (OI participant 1 OD: 101 μm, OS 104 μm, OI participant 2: OD 97 μm, OS 98 μm, OI participant 3: OD: 94 μm, OS 120 μm, healthy participants: OD 122.8 ± 13.6 μm, OS 120.8 ± 15.1 μm). These findings imply abnormalities in collagen organization or composition, underscoring the necessity for additional research to comprehend the ocular phenotype in OI.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12177,"journal":{"name":"Experimental eye research","volume":"247 ","pages":"Article 110048"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141995613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel compound heterozygous variant of MYO7A in Usher syndrome type 1","authors":"Wenchao Cao,&nbsp;Longhao Kuang,&nbsp;Run Gan,&nbsp;Tao Huang,&nbsp;Xiaohe Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110047","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110047","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Usher syndrome (USH) is a recessive genetic disorder manifested by congenital sensorineural hearing loss and progressive retinitis pigmentosa, which leads to audiovisual impairment. We report a patient with Usher syndrome type 1 with new compound heterozygous <em>MYO7A</em> variants. A total of four members from the USH family were included. Medical history and retinal examinations were taken and genomic DNA from peripheral blood was extracted in the proband and other members. 381 retinal disease-associated genes were screened using targeted sequence capture array technology and Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the screening results. Scanning laser ophthalmoscope showed bone spicule pigmentary deposits in the mid-peripheral retina and whitish and thin retinal blood vessels especially in the arterioles. Optical coherence tomography showed that the centrality of the macular ellipsoid band disappeared in both eyes, and only remained near the fovea. Visual field examination showed a progressive loss of the visual field in a concentric pattern in both eyes. The electroretinography showed a significant decrease in the amplitudes of a- and b-waves in the scotopic and photopic condition. DNA sequencing identified the compound heterozygous variants including c.1003+1G &gt; A: p. (?) and c.5957_5958del: p.G1987Lfs*50 of <em>MYO7A</em>, with the latter being novel. In this study, we found a novel compound heterozygous variant in <em>MYO7A</em>, which enriched the mutation spectrum and expanded our understanding of the heterogeneity of phenotype and genotype of Usher syndrome type 1.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12177,"journal":{"name":"Experimental eye research","volume":"247 ","pages":"Article 110047"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141995607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"HIF-1α–dependent regulation of angiogenic factor expression in Müller cells by mechanical stimulation","authors":"Tadahiko Ogata,&nbsp;Atsushige Ashimori,&nbsp;Fumiaki Higashijima,&nbsp;Ayano Sakuma,&nbsp;Waka Hamada,&nbsp;Junki Sunada,&nbsp;Ren Aoki,&nbsp;Masanori Mikuni,&nbsp;Kenichiro Hayashi,&nbsp;Takuya Yoshimoto,&nbsp;Makiko Wakuta,&nbsp;Shinichiro Teranishi,&nbsp;Manami Ohta,&nbsp;Kazuhiro Kimura","doi":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110051","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110051","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mechanical stress regulates various biological processes in cells, tissues, and organs as well as contributes to the pathogenesis of various diseases. The retina is subjected to mechanical stress imposed by intraocular pressure as well as by retinal hemorrhage and edema. Responses to mechanical stress have been studied in retinal pigment epithelial cells and Müller cells of the retina, with the former cells having been found to undergo a stress-induced increase in the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which plays a key role in physiological and pathological angiogenesis in the retina. We here examined the effects of stretch stimulation on the expression of angiogenic factors in cultured human Müller cells. Reverse transcription and quantitative PCR analysis revealed that expression of the VEGF-A gene was increased by such stimulation in Müller cells, whereas that of the angiopoietin 1 gene was decreased. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that stretch stimulation also increased VEGF secretion from these cells. Expression of the transcription factor HIF-1α (hypoxia-inducible factor–1α) was increased at both mRNA and protein levels by stretch stimulation, and the HIF-1α inhibitor CAY10585 prevented the effects of mechanical stress on VEGF-A gene expression and VEGF secretion. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing analysis showed that the expression of angiogenesis-related pathway genes was upregulated by stretch stimulation. Our results thus suggest that mechanical stress induces VEGF production in Müller cells in a manner dependent on HIF-1α, and that HIF-1α is therefore a potential therapeutic target for conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and retinal vein occlusion.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12177,"journal":{"name":"Experimental eye research","volume":"247 ","pages":"Article 110051"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014483524002720/pdfft?md5=f31f47d49e3f78d64411b1cb3c795f30&pid=1-s2.0-S0014483524002720-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141995608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of platelet-rich plasma and sodium alginate hydrogel on corneal wound healing after corneal alkali burns in rats with computer-assisted anterior segment optical coherence tomography image analysis","authors":"Mehmet Omer Kiristioglu ,&nbsp;Mehmet Baykara ,&nbsp;Ozkan Yavas ,&nbsp;Zehra Avci Kupeli ,&nbsp;Musa Ozgur Ozyigit","doi":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110044","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110044","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Our objective was to determine the effect of a semi-synthetic sodium alginate hydrogel and its combination with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on histopathological, biochemical, clinical, and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) data. Alkali chemical burn of the cornea was induced. Injured rats were randomly divided into five equal groups and topically treated with phosphate-buffered saline (sham), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), 0.5% sodium citrate, a semi-synthetic sodium alginate hydrogel, or a combination of PRP and hydrogel (combined group) three times daily. The degree of corneal opacity (CO), corneal epithelial staining (CES), percentage of corneal epithelial defects (CEDP), degree of ciliary hyperemia (CH), neovascularization size (NVS), and extent of neovascularization (NVE) were evaluated. AS-OCT was performed at nine days, and then rats were sacrificed. Histological examination and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed to detect the concentrations of IL-1β and MMP-9 in the cornea. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding CEDP, CO, CES, CH, NVS, or NVE on the first day after corneal alkali burn injury (p &gt; 0,05). At the last examination, CO was significantly lower in the PRP group than in the sham group (p = 0,044), while the CO concentrations were similar in terms of NVS (p &gt; 0,05). Similarly, in terms of tissue MMP-9 levels, there were no significant differences between groups (p &gt; 0,05). However, there was a significant difference in tissue IL-1β levels between the groups (p &lt; 0,001). In the PRP and combined groups, the level of IL-1β was significantly lower than that in the sham group (p = 0,043 and p = 0,036, respectively). There was a significant difference in epithelial necrosis between the PRP, and it was the lowest in the combined group (p = 0,003). Epithelial thickness was highest in the combined group (p = 0,002). CEDP was significantly different at the last visit between the groups (p = 0.042). The fastest epithelial closing rate was observed for the combined group (p = 0,026). There was a significant negative correlation between tissue MMP-9 levels and corneal solidity and between tissue MMP-9 levels and the corneal area according to the AS-OCT measurements (p = 0,012 and p = 0,027, respectively). When used alone, topical hydrogel application did not significantly enhance the healing of corneal wounds. However, when combined with PRP, it leads to an increased rate of epithelial closure and neovascularization. This combination did not exacerbate inflammation or corneal opacity compared to PRP alone. The anticoagulant citrate solution in the PRP tube did not prove effective. The synergistic use of PRP and hydrogel could enhance epithelial thickness and reduce epithelial necrosis. The use of new parameters for corneal wound healing assessment was facilitated through AS-OCT image processing.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12177,"journal":{"name":"Experimental eye research","volume":"247 ","pages":"Article 110044"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141995615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Imaging macular carotenoids and their related proteins in the human retina with confocal resonance Raman and fluorescence microscopy","authors":"Binxing Li,&nbsp;Fu-yen Chang,&nbsp;Zihe Wan,&nbsp;Nathan A. Giauque,&nbsp;Emmanuel K. Addo,&nbsp;Paul S. Bernstein","doi":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exer.2024.110043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Lutein and zeaxanthin are highly concentrated at the central region of the human retina, forming a distinct yellow spot known as the <em>macula lutea</em>. The delivery and retention of the macular pigment carotenoids in the <em>macula lutea</em> involves many proteins, but their exact roles remain incompletely understood. In our study, we examined the distribution of the twelve known macular carotenoid-related proteins within the human macula and the underlying retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) using both fluorescence and Raman modes on our confocal resonance Raman microscope. Additionally, we assessed protein and gene expression through Western blot analysis and a single-cell RNA sequencing database. Our findings revealed that GSTP1, BCO2, and Aster-B exhibited distribution patterns similar to the macular carotenoids, with higher expression levels within the macular region compared to the periphery, while SR-BI and ABCA1 did not exhibit specific distribution patterns within the macula or RPE. Interestingly, LIPC, SR-BI's partner, accumulated specifically in the sub-foveal RPE. All three of these carotenoid transport proteins were found to be highly expressed in the RPE. These results offer valuable insights into the roles these proteins play in the formation of the <em>macula lutea</em>.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12177,"journal":{"name":"Experimental eye research","volume":"247 ","pages":"Article 110043"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141995609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}