Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment on Renal System.

INTRODUCTION: Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment is steadily increasing as a therapeutic modality for various types of diseases. Although good clinical outcomes were reported with HBO treatment for various diseases, the multisystemic effects of this modality are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the renal effects of HBO experimentally. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen New Zealand White rabbits were divided into 2 groups randomly as the control group and the study group. The study group received HBO treatment for 28 days (100% oxygen at 2.5 atmospheres for 90 minutes daily) and the control group was used to obtain normal renal tissue of the animal genus. After the intervention period, venous blood samples were obtained, and renal tissue samples were harvested for comparisons. RESULTS: Normal histological morphology was determined with Masson trichrome staining and periodic acid-Schiff staining in the control group. Atrophic glomerular structures, vacuolated tubule cells, and degeneration were detected in the renal samples of the study group with Masson trichrome staining. Additionally, flattening was observed on the brush borders of the proximal tubules, and tubular dilatation was visualized with periodic acid-Schiff staining. The histopathologic disruption of renal morphology was verified with detection of significantly elevated kidney function laboratory biomarkers in the study group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggests that HBO has adverse effects on renal glomerulus and proximal tubules. However, the functional effects of this alteration should be investigated with further studies.

Lagophthalmos and frozen globe as the initial presentation of invasive breast carcinoma.

A 75-year-old woman presented with six months history of progressing lagophthalmos and immobility of the left eye. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the orbit demonstrated infiltration of orbital fat and the extra-ocular muscles. We performed transverse blepharotomy of the left eyelid to correct lagophthalmos; and during surgery, we took a biopsy sample from levator muscle and orbital fat. After the operation, the patient was able to close her eyelids, and epithelial problems were resolved. Biopsy revealed fibro-vascular, muscle and fat tissue infiltrated with minimally differentiated carcinoma cells. Breast examination revealed a nodule in the left breast. Biopsy of the mass confirmed the diagnosis of invasive breast carcinoma. Orbital manifestation of metastases, such as diplopia, lagophthalmos or pain may reduce life quality of the patients and must be evaluated on a multidisciplinary basis.

Evaluation of intracameral injection of ranibizumab and bevacizumab on the corneal endothelium by scanning electron microscopy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of intracameral injection of ranibizumab and bevacizumab on the corneal endothelium by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). METHODS: Twenty-eight female rabbits were randomly divided into four equal groups. Rabbits in groups 1 and 2 underwent intracameral injection of 1 mg/0.1 mL and 0.5 mg/0.05 mL ranibizumab, respectively; group 3 was injected with 1.25 mg/0.05 mL bevacizumab. All three groups were injected with a balanced salt solution (BSS) into the anterior chamber of the left (fellow) eye. None of the rabbits in group 4 underwent an injection. Corneal thickness and intraocular pressure were measured before the injections, on the first day, and in the first month after injection. The rabbits were sacrificed and corneal tissues were excised in the first month after injection. Specular microscopy was used for the corneal endothelial cell count. Endothelial cell density was assessed and comparisons drawn between the groups and the control. Micrographs were recorded for SEM examination. The structure of the corneal endothelial cells, the junctional area of the cell membrane, the distribution of microvillus, and the cell morphology of the eyes that underwent intracameral injection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), BSS, and the control group were compared. RESULTS: Corneal thickness and intraocular pressure were not significantly different between the groups that underwent anti-VEGF or BSS injection and the control group on the first day and in the first month of injection. The corneal endothelial cell count was significantly diminished in all three groups; predominantly in group 1 and 2 (P<0.05). The SEM examination revealed normal corneal endothelial histology in group 3 and the control group. Eyes in group 1 exhibited indistinctness of corneal endothelial cell borders, microvillus loss in the luminal surface, excessive blebbing, and disintegration of intercellular junctions. In group 2, the cell structure of the corneal endothelium and intercellular junctions were normal. However, a relative reduction was observed in the microvillus density of endothelial cells. Although eyes in group 3 were morphologically similar to fellow eyes and the control group, disarrangement in endothelial cell borders was evident. CONCLUSION: The SEM examination pointed out deterioration in endothelial cell morphology after intracameral injection of 1 and 0.5 mg ranizumab. However, the effects of intracameral bevacizumab injection on corneal endothelial cells were similar to those found in fellow eyes and the control group. Further large-scale studies that examine the cellular changes by transmission electron microscopy are required to support the results of the present study that evaluates the structural changes in endothelial cells by SEM.

Anterior segment parameters of rabbits with rotating Scheimpflug camera.

BACKGROUND: Rabbit is one of the most commonly used experimental animals for corneal studies due to similarity of size to human cornea and ease of manipulation. In this study, we assessed anterior segment parameters of the healthy rabbit eyes with Pentacam HR (Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany). METHODS: Six-month-old, approximately 2.5-3 kg weighted, 30 female New Zealand rabbits were used in the study. Right eye of the each rabbit was imaged with Pentacam HR under intramuscular ketamine hydrochloride (Ketalar; Eczacibasi, Turkey) anesthesia (50 mg/kg). After the imaging, the rabbits with blinking errors, which results in low-quality images, were excluded from the study. Keratometric readings, central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and anterior and posterior elevation values, and lens density were noted. RESULTS: In this study, the flattest and the steepest keratometric values were found as 43.34 ± 1.86, 42.7 ± 2.0, and 43.9 ± 1.9 diopters, respectively. The mean CCT and ACD of rabbits were found as 388 ± 39 µm and 2.08 ± 0.16 mm, respectively. Mean of the anterior and posterior elevation at thinnest point was found as 1.29 ± 4.28 and 3.91 ± 6.17 µm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Keratometric readings and anterior and posterior elevation values of rabbits were similar to human; however, corneal thickness and anterior chamber depth (ACD) values were lower than humans.

Comparison of central corneal thickness measurements with a rotating scheimpflug camera, a specular microscope, optical low-coherence reflectometry, and ultrasound pachymetry in keratoconic eyes.

OBJECTIVE: To compare central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements with a rotating Scheimpflug camera (RSC), noncontact specular microscopy (SM), optical low-coherence reflectometry (OLCR), and ultrasonic pachymetry (UP) in keratoconus (KC) patients. METHOD: In this prospective study, four CCT measurements taken with an RSC, SM, OLCR, and UP were compared in 81 eyes of 44 consecutive KC patients. The KC patients were divided into four subgroups according to Amsler-Krumeich's KC classification. RESULTS: The RSC and UP measurements of the CCT were not statistically significant in all the groups. Comparison of the SM vs. the OLCR measurements yielded statistically significant differences in all the KC patients and in all KC stages. In all the KC patients, RSC and OLCR showed a high correlation coefficient factor (r = 0.87, p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: CCT measurements with RSC are comparable to those achieved with UP. Compared with the other devices, according to SM measurements, the central cornea is thicker in all keratoconic eyes and in all KC grades, and it is thinner according to OLCR. RSC, UP, SM, and OLCR should not be used interchangeably in keratoconic eyes.

Inner and outer segment junction (IS/OS line) integrity in ocular Behçet's disease.

PURPOSE: In this study, we examined the spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings of ocular Behçet's disease (OB) in patients with inactive uveitis. Specifically, we analyzed the inner and outer segment junction (IS/OS line) integrity and the effect of disturbed IS/OS line integrity on visual acuity. METHODS: Patient files and OCT images of OB patients who had been followed-up between January and June of the year 2013 at the Dicle University Eye Clinic were evaluated retrospectively. Sixty-six eyes of 39 patients were included the study. RESULTS: OCT examination of the patients with inactive OB revealed that approximately 25% of the patients had disturbed IS/OS and external limiting membrane (EML) line integrity, lower visual acuity (VA), and lower macular thickness than others. Linear regression analysis revealed that macular thickness was not an independent variable for VA. In contrast, the IS/OS line integrity was an independent variable for VA in inactive OB patients. CONCLUSION: In this study, we showed that the IS/OS line integrity was an independent variable for VA in inactive OB patients. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the integrity of the IS/OS line in OB patients.

Incidence of retinopathy of prematurity in extremely premature infants.

Purpose. To investigate the incidence and the severity of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in extremely preterm infants born before 28 weeks of gestation in southeastern Turkey. Methods. A retrospective chart review was performed for infants born before 28 weeks of gestation. The following data were reviewed: gender, gestational age (GA), birth weight (BW), zone and stage of ROP, presence of plus disease, and treatment for ROP if needed. Infants were divided into 2 groups according to GA as follows: group 1 included infants of GAs 25 weeks and under; group 2 included infants of GAs less than 28 weeks and over 25 weeks. Results. The incidence of any ROP in the whole cohort, in group 1, and in group 2, was 66.0%, 95.5%, and 58.6%, respectively. Incidence of any ROP was significantly associated with BW and GA (P = 0.014 and P = 0.002, resp.). The overall incidence of type 1 ROP was 35.8% (59.1% in group 1 and 29.9% in group 2). Development of type 1 ROP was independently associated with GA. Conclusion. Any ROP was significantly associated with BW and GA. Extremely premature infants with lower GA were found to be more likely to develop type 1 ROP. BW cannot predict the development of type 1 ROP.

Effects of smoking on visual acuity of central serous chorioretinopathy patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences, in terms of visual outcome and treatment needs, between smokers and non-smokers central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) patients. METHODS: The files of 252 patients diagnosed with CSCR who had presented to the Retina Unit of the Ophthalmology Clinic at Dicle University Medical School in Turkey were retrospectively evaluated. Eighty-four smokers, with a known history of smoking of at least one pack-year, and 133 non-smokers were included, whereas 35 patients with additional pathologies were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Of the patients, 192 (88.5%) were male and 25 (11.5%) were female. The mean patient age was 38.8 ± 8.1 years (range: 20-68 years). Visual acuity (VA) of the smoker and non-smoker groups was measured as 0.45 ± 0.35 and 0.24 ± 0.28 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMar), respectively, at the first visit; 0.19 ± 0.29 and 0.06 ± 0.14 logMar at the sixth month; and 0.07 ± 0.14 and 0.02 ± 0.05 logMar at the ninth month. VA measurements at presentation and during all examinations (1th, 6th and 9th month) were significantly different for the two groups. VA was lower in the smoker group. In 27 patients (12.4%), an additional treatment modality was needed. Of the 27 patients, only 8 (6%) were non-smokers, whereas 19 (22.6%) were smokers. There was no difference between groups in the recurrence rate during follow-up (p = 0.907); 14 (16.7%) smokers and 8 (19.0%) non-smokers experienced a recurrence. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that patients selected and who are current smokers have poorer vision and need longer treatment.

Congenital bilateral upper eyelid eversion: report of a case.

Congenital bilateral upper eyelid eversion is a rare condition and the definite cause is not known. It is often seen in Black babies or babies with Down's syndrome. With early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, the condition can be managed without surgery. We report a case of congenital upper eyelid eversion in an otherwise healthy Caucasian neonate, born by normal vaginal delivery. The case responded well to conservative treatment, including eyelid repositioning, lubricants, antibiotic ointment, and eyelid patching.

One year results of anti-VEGF treatment in pigment epithelial detachment secondary to macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: Pigment epithelial detachment (PED) may be seen in all stages of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and may lead to poor prognosis. In this study, we retrospectively examined the effect of anti-VEGF treatments in ARMD patients with vascularized PED. METHODS: Medical records of 15 patients with PED secondary to ARMD were reviewed retrospectively. The diagnosis of PED was made with fundoscopy, fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography. Patients were treated with intravitreal ranibizumab or/and bevacizumab and followed up for a minimum of one year. PED height and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was obtained before the first intravitreal anti-VEGF injection and again at the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th month after the injection. RESULTS: The mean baseline BCVA was 0.71 ± 0.48 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) unit and the mean baseline PED height was 361 ± 153 µ. The mean injection count per eye was 3.9 ± 2.9. There was a significant reduce in mean PED height (247 ± 177 µ) also in 2 eyes PED completely resolved at the end of the follow up period. The mean BCVA at 12th month (0,69 ± 0,37) were not different from the baseline record. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective case series showed that intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy preserved vision and reduced PED height in PED patients in a one-year follow-up period.

Effects of vernal and allergic conjunctivitis on severity of keratoconus.

AIM: To demonstrate the effects of two different types of allergic conjunctivitis on severity of keratoconus (KC). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 171 KC patients referred between June 2010 and June 2011. The KC patients were divided into 3 groups as KC (group A), KC with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) (group B) and KC with allergic conjunctivitis (AC) (group C). Main outcome measures were demographic and ocular clinical features including age at presentation, gender, spherical equivalent (SE), best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BCVA), mean keratometric measurement (Km), central corneal thickness (CCT), and intraocular pressure (IOP). Groups were compared in term of study variables. RESULTS: The median age at presentation was significantly lower in group B (P<0.001). According to the median SE (P=0.003), BCVA (P=0.022), Km (P<0.001), CCT (P=0.015) and Amsler-Krumeich classification (P<0.001), KC was more severe in group B. There was no significant difference in terms of IOP and corrected IOP among the groups (P=0.44), however there were 4 patients who had increased corrected IOP developed after topical corticosteroid use in group B. The differences among the groups persisted even after controlling for age and gender. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated a more severe KC in VKC patients despite their younger age which suggests evaluation of VKC patients as a separate group in keratoconus disease.

Demographic and etiologic characteristics of children with traumatic serious hyphema.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the etiologic factors, complications, follow-up, and treatment outcomes in serious hyphema following blunt ocular trauma in childhood. METHODS: The medical records of 136 patients diagnosed as grade 3 or 4 hyphema due to blunt ocular trauma between January 2006 and December 2011 were evaluated. Visual acuity (VA), complications, and medical and surgical treatments were analyzed. Factors affecting visual prognosis were compared in grade 3 and 4 hyphema cases. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 9.7±4 years. Etiologic factors for trauma were stone in 53 (39%), bead bullet in 25 (18.4%) and others in 58 (42.6%) patients. The most common complication of grade 3 and 4 hyphema was traumatic mydriasis (19.1%), followed by cataract (9.6%) and glaucoma (5.1%). Medical treatment was successful in 114 (83.8%) patients, and 22 (16.2%) patients underwent surgery. Mean initial and final VA of grade 4 patients were found to be significantly lower than those of grade 3 patients. CONCLUSION: In grade 3 and 4 hyphema due to blunt trauma, visual prognosis worsened in the presence of additional ocular pathologies. Considering the bad visual prognosis of severe hyphema patients, prompt treatment and close follow-up may prevent complications resulting in poor VA.

The mean platelet volume in patients with retinal vein occlusion.

Background. The aim of this study was to investigate the mean platelet volume (MPV) of patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Methods. Hundred and ninty-three patients with the diagnosis of RVO and 83 healthy control subjects were included in this retrospective study. Retinal vein occlusion was diagnosed based on clinical examination. All patients and control subjects underwent complete ocular examination. MPV, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and platelet count of the participants were recorded. The data of patients with RVO was compared with the control subjects. Results. Patients with RVO had significantly higher MPV values (8.19 ± 1.22 fL) compared with the control subjects (7.68 ± 1.11 fL) (P = 0.004). No significant difference was found in platelet counts between RVO group and the control group (275.77 ± 70.87 10(9)/L and 261.96 ± 59.40 10(9)/L, resp., P = 0.161), Mean platelet volume was an independent predictor of RVO (odds ratio (OR) = 1.43; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.09-1.89; P = 0.011). Conclusion. Our results demonstrated that the MPV values were significantly higher in patients with RVO, suggesting that larger platelets may contribute to the pathogenesis of the RVOs.

Evaluation of corneal parameters with scheimpflug imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate corneal parameters of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients by Pentacam-HR. METHODS: Seventy RA patients and 100 control subjects were enrolled. All participants underwent Pentacam (Pentacam-HR, Oculus, Germany) evaluation. Both RA and control groups were divided into two subgroups as dry eye (DE) (Schirmer test with topical anesthesia (STA) ≤ 5 mm) and without DE (STA > 5 mm). RESULTS: Pachymetric measurements and the mean corneal volume were significantly lower in RA group (p < 0.001). Disease duration was negatively correlated with pachymetric measurements in RA group. Pachymetric measurements and corneal volume of RA patients with DE were significantly lower than all the other subgroups. Control subgroups with or without DE were similar in pachymetric measurements and corneal volume. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that RA patients have thinner corneas compared to control subjects that may be affected by disease duration. Furthermore, coexistence of DE and RA seems to aggravate the thinning of cornea as well.

Secondary glaucoma after pediatric cataract surgery.

AIM: To determine the incidence and risk factors of secondary glaucoma after pediatric cataract surgery. METHODS: Two hundred and forty nine eyes of 148 patients underwent cataract surgery without intraocular lens (IOL) implantation (group 1), and 220 eyes of 129 patients underwent cataract surgery with IOL implantation (group 2) retrospectively, were evaluated between 2000 and 2011. The outcome measure was the presence or absence of post-cataract surgery glaucoma, defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) ≥26mmHg, as measured on at least two occasions along with corneal or optic nerve changes. RESULTS: The mean follow-up periods of group 1 and 2 were (60.86±30.95) months (12-123 months) and (62.11±31.29) months (14-115 months) respectively. In group 1, 12 eyes of 8 patients (4.8%) developed glaucoma. None of the patients developed glaucoma after surgery in group 2. The mean age of the patients at the cataract surgery was (2.58±0.90) months (1 month-4 months) and the average period for glaucoma development after surgery was (9.50±4.33) months (4-16 months) in group 1. Three of the 12 glaucomatous eyes were controlled with antiglaucomatous medication and 9 eyes underwent trabeculectomy+mitomycin C surgery. One patient underwent a second trabeculectomy + mitomycin C operation for both of his eyes. CONCLUSION: The incidence of glaucoma after pediatric cataract surgery is very low in patients in whom IOL is implanted. The aphakic eyes after pediatric cataract surgery are at an increased risk for glaucoma development particularly if they underwent surgery before 4 months of age.

Intravitreal bevacizumab monotherapy for retinopathy of prematurity.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injections, used as a monotherapy in type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed for 17 type 1 ROP patients (34 eyes), who had IVB injection between July 2011 and June 2012. Birthweight, gestational age at birth, stage and location of ROP, IVB injection time, time of complete retinal vascularization, and additional treatments if needed, were noted. A total of 0.625 mg (0.025 mL) bevacizumab was injected intravitreally. RESULTS: Thirty eyes of 17 patients with type 1 ROP enrolled in the study were treated with IVB injection. Of them seven had aggressive posterior-ROP, six had stage 2 ROP, and four had stage 3 ROP. The mean gestational age was 28.44 weeks (range, 26-31 weeks); and the mean birthweight was 1151.88 g (range, 600-1600 g). The mean age for IVB injection was 35.47 weeks. The mean full retinal vascularization time was 136.6 ± 26.6 days. The mean follow-up time was 285.3 ± 70 days. ROP was regressed and retinal vascularization was completed in all cases except one eye, which had threshold disease. CONCLUSION: IVB injection, used as a monotherapy, is an effective treatment approach in patients with type 1 ROP. Timely treatment of stage 2 and early stage 3 ROP in which disease progression was observed, prevents vitreoretinal membrane formation in posterior disease. Further studies need to be performed to determine the safety of IVB injection.

Evaluation of cutaneous palpebral anthrax.

CONTEXT: Anthrax is a rare disease caused by Bacillus anthracis. Antrax is zoonotic disease and is often encountered in persons engaged in animal husbandry. Cutaneous anthrax is approximately 95% of anthrax in humans. Palbebral involvement is rare. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of cases with cutaneous palpebral anthrax. METHODS: In this study, the patients diagnosed of cutaneous palpebral anthrax between January 2000 and December 2012, were investigated and evaluated, retrospectively. Cutaneous palpebral anthrax was diagnosed by the presence of typical anthrax lesion and/or observation of gram-positive encapsulated bacilli in gram prepations and/or culture positive of samples taken from lesions. In the cases who were culture-negative and without bacilli in gram-staining, the diagnosis was based on the presence of characteristic clinical presentation with a history of severe scarring formation, swelling, black eschar and positive response to the treatment. RESULTS: A total of 21 patients with cutaneous palpebral anthrax admitted to the two hospitals between January 2000 and December 2012. Eight patients were male (38.1%) and 13 patients were female (61.9%), and the mean age was 31 ± 21.2 (range 1-82 years). The most common symptoms on admission to the hospital were swelling and redness on the skin. Periorbital lesions were in the right eye in 14 cases and the most common eyelid involvement was seen in upper eyelid with 15 cases. The diagnosis was based on isolation of bacteria in five (23.8%) cases, detection of gram-positive bacilli in direct examination of characteristic lesion material in six (28.5%) cases. Ten (47.7%) cases were diagnosed by the characteristic appearance of the lesion. Malignant pustule was seen in all of our patients and seven cases (33.4%) had malignant edema. In the treatment, penicilin was used for 10 (47.7%) cases, ampicillin-sulbactam for five (23.8%) cases and, ciprofloxacin for three (14.3%) cases. Cicatricial ectropion was observed in 10 (47.7%) patients, lagophthalmos developed in four (19%) patients, and corneal scar in two (9.5%) patients. The distribution of the cases did not differ by the year but showed a density in the months from July to September (62.7%). CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis and high dose antibiotic treatment can facilitate the treatment and prevent development of eyelid complications including cicatricial ectropion, corneal scars and palpebral symphysis. Prolonged follow-up is necessary in patients who develop complications and surgical intervention.

The effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester in acute methanol toxicity on rat retina and optic nerve.

PURPOSE: We aimed to test caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) as an antidote for acute methanol (MeOH) toxicity and to compare it with ethanol. METHODS: This study included five groups, each containing eight rats. The groups were control, methotrexate (MTX), MeOH, ethanol and CAPE. All rats except control group were treated with intraperitoneal (i.p.) MTX (0.3 mg/kg/d) for 7 d. At the 8th day of the experiment, i.p. injection of MeOH (3 g/kg) was administered in MeOH, ethanol and CAPE groups. Four hours after MeOH treatment, 0.5 g/kg ethanol was injected i.p. in ethanol group; 10 µmol/kg CAPE i.p. in CAPE group; serum physiologic i.p. in other groups. After 8 h, rats were anaesthetized and sacrificed. Total anti-oxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) were measured on the dissected and excised retina and optic nerve samples. Fellow eyes were used for histopathologic evaluation and the cell count of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) layer. In addition, interactions of alcohol dehydrogenase with CAPE, ethanol, MeOH and pyrazole derivatives were investigated. RESULTS: Either CAPE or ethanol co-treatment decreased the TOS levels and increased the TAS levels compared to the MeOH group. MeOH treatment decreased the mean cell count in RGC layer. CAPE co-treatment significantly prevented cell loss (p = 0.040). Besides, in silico calculations showed that binding affinity of CAPE to alcohol dehydrogenase was higher than those of MeOH, ethanol, and pyrazole derivatives were. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that CAPE treatment decreased the oxidative stress in acute MeOH intoxication in the retina and optic nerve; beside that, protected RGC layer histology. In silico, CAPE had higher affinity score than MeOH, ethanol, pyrazole and pyrazole derivatives in the case of interaction with alcohol dehydrogenase.

The protective effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester in isoniazid and ethambutol-induced ocular toxicity of rats.

PURPOSE: This study intended to examine the effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on isoniazid (INH) and/or ethambutol (ETM)-induced retina and optic nerve toxicity in a rat model. METHODS: This study included eight groups, each containing 10 rats. The groups were Control, INH, ETM, CAPE, INH+CAPE, ETM+CAPE, INH+ETM and INH+ETM+CAPE. Rats were given orally 50 mg/kg/d of INH and 50 mg/kg/d of ETM in tap water for 30 d. 10 µmol/kg of CAPE were intraperitoneally injected for 30 d. The first dose of CAPE was given 24 h before the INH and ETM treatment and continued until sacrifice. Control group was given only tap water for 30 d. Rats were anaesthetized and sacrificed on the 30th day of experiment. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, malondialdehyde (MDA), total anti-oxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) were measured on the dissected and excised retina and optic nerve samples. Fellow eyes were used for histopathologic evaluation and the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) count. In addition, CAPE, INH and ETM interaction with SOD isoforms were calculated in silico. RESULTS: The SOD activity and TAS levels were found significantly higher in CAPE-treated groups compared to INH and/or ETM-treated groups (p < 0.0001). But the MDA, and TOS levels were significantly lower in CAPE-treated groups (p < 0.0001). The mean RGC count is significantly decreased in INH, ETM and INH+ETM groups compared with INH+CAPE, ETM+CAPE and INH+ETM+CAPE groups, respectively (p values 0.001, 0.042, and 0.001 respectively). Besides, in silico calculations showed that binding affinity of CAPE to SOD isotypes was higher than that of INH and ETM. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that CAPE treatment may decrease the oxidative stress in the retina and optic nerve of INH- and ETM-treated rats and may prevent RGC loss. As an underlying mechanism, CAPE and SOD interaction seems crucial for alleviation of ocular oxidative stress and RGCs toxicity.

Effects of hyperbaric oxygen on crystalline lens and retina in nicotine-exposed rats.

OBJECTIVE: To determine histopathological changes on crystalline lens and retina of rats after subcutaneous injection of nicotine and to examine the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on these changes related to nicotine exposure. METHODS: Twenty-eight female Sprague-Dawley rats were enrolled in the study and the rats were divided into four equal sized groups randomly (Group N: the rats exposed only to nicotine, group HB: the rats received only HBO, group N+HB: the rats that underwent to nicotine injection and subsequently received HBO, group C: the control group that neither exposed to nicotine nor received HBO). The rats were sacrificed by decapitation method and all were enucleated immediately after scarification. Tissue samples from crystalline lens, lens capsule, and the retina from the right eyes of the rats were examined by light microscopy. RESULTS: While the histological appearances of the retina and the lens was similar in group HB, group N+HB, and the control group; group N showed some pathological changes like decrement in the retinal ganglion cell density, atrophy of the retinal nerve fiber layer, congestion of the vessels in the optic nerve head, thinning of the internal plexiform layer, thinning of the lens capsule, and transformation of the anterior subcapsular epithelium into squamous epithelia. DISCUSSION: Subcutaneous injection of nicotine was found to be related with some pathological changes in the retina and lens of the Sprague-Dawley rats. However HBO caused no significant negative effect. Furthermore, the histopathological changes related to nicotine exposure in the lens and retina of the rats recovered by the application of HBO.