Extraocular muscle contraction as a tool for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo diagnosis.

When diagnosing benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, extraocular muscle contraction and the nystagmus it causes, though recognized as an important indicator, is less commonly seen as a principal method of diagnosis. However, through determining the direction of resulting nystagmus during diagnostic tests such as the supine roll test and the Dix-Hallpike test, which semicircular canals are involved in individual cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can be ascertained, in both cases involving only one semicircular canal or cases of multi-canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Cannabidiol Limits T Cell-Mediated Chronic Autoimmune Myocarditis: Implications to Autoimmune Disorders and Organ Transplantation.

Myocarditis is a major cause of heart failure and sudden cardiac death in young adults and adolescents. Many cases of myocarditis are associated with autoimmune processes in which cardiac myosin is a major autoantigen. Conventional immunosuppressive therapies often provide unsatisfactory results and are associated with adverse toxicities during the treatment of autoimmune myocarditis. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a nonpsychoactive constituent of marijuana that exerts antiinflammatory effects independent of classical cannabinoid receptors. Recently, 80 clinical trials have investigated the effects of CBD in various diseases from inflammatory bowel disease to graft versus host disease. CBD-based formulations are used for the management of multiple sclerosis in numerous countries, and CBD also received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of refractory childhood epilepsy and glioblastoma multiforme. Herein, using a well-established mouse model of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) induced by immunization with cardiac myosin emmulsified in adjuvant resulting in T cell-mediated inflammation, cardiomyocyte cell death, fibrosis and myocardial dysfunction, we studied the potential beneficial effects of CBD. EAM was characterized by marked myocardial T-cell infiltration, profound inflammatory response and fibrosis (measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, histology and immunohistochemistry analyses) accompanied by marked attenuation of both systolic and diastolic cardiac functions measured with a pressure-volume conductance catheter technique. Chronic treatment with CBD largely attenuated the CD3+ and CD4+ T cell-mediated inflammatory response and injury, myocardial fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction in mice. In conclusion, CBD may represent a promising novel treatment for managing autoimmune myocarditis and possibly other autoimmune disorders and organ transplantation.

Towards unsupervised fluorescence lifetime imaging using low dimensional variable projection.

Analyzing large fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) data is becoming overwhelming; the latest FLIM systems easily produce massive amounts of data, making an efficient analysis more challenging than ever. In this paper we propose the combination of a custom-fit variable projection method, with a Laguerre expansion based deconvolution, to analyze bi-exponential data obtained from time-domain FLIM systems. Unlike nonlinear least squares methods, which require a suitable initial guess from an experienced researcher, the new method is free from manual interventions and hence can support automated analysis. Monte Carlo simulations are carried out on synthesized FLIM data to demonstrate the performance compared to other approaches. The performance is also illustrated on real-life FLIM data obtained from the study of autofluorescence of daisy pollen and the endocytosis of gold nanorods (GNRs) in living cells. In the latter, the fluorescence lifetimes of the GNRs are much shorter than the full width at half maximum of the instrument response function. Overall, our proposed method contains simple steps and shows great promise in realising automated FLIM analysis of large data sets.

Cannabidiol Protects against Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyopathy by Modulating Mitochondrial Function and Biogenesis.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used, potent chemotherapeutic agent; however, its clinical application is limited because of its dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. DOX's cardiotoxicity involves increased oxidative/nitrative stress, impaired mitochondrial function in cardiomyocytes/endothelial cells and cell death. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a nonpsychotropic constituent of marijuana, which is well tolerated in humans, with antioxidant, antiinflammatory and recently discovered antitumor properties. We aimed to explore the effects of CBD in a well-established mouse model of DOX-induced cardiomyopathy. DOX-induced cardiomyopathy was characterized by increased myocardial injury (elevated serum creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase levels), myocardial oxidative and nitrative stress (decreased total glutathione content and glutathione peroxidase 1 activity, increased lipid peroxidation, 3-nitrotyrosine formation and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA), myocardial cell death (apoptotic and poly[ADP]-ribose polymerase 1 [PARP]-dependent) and cardiac dysfunction (decline in ejection fraction and left ventricular fractional shortening). DOX also impaired myocardial mitochondrial biogenesis (decreased mitochondrial copy number, mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1-alpha, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, estrogen-related receptor alpha), reduced mitochondrial function (attenuated complex I and II activities) and decreased myocardial expression of uncoupling protein 2 and 3 and medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase mRNA. Treatment with CBD markedly improved DOX-induced cardiac dysfunction, oxidative/nitrative stress and cell death. CBD also enhanced the DOX-induced impaired cardiac mitochondrial function and biogenesis. These data suggest that CBD may represent a novel cardioprotective strategy against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, and the above-described effects on mitochondrial function and biogenesis may contribute to its beneficial properties described in numerous other models of tissue injury.

Rosuvastatin improves hepatopulmonary syndrome through inhibition of inflammatory angiogenesis of lung.

The hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is characterized by hypoxia and increased intrapulmonary shunts in cirrhotic patients. Emerging evidence showed promising results of treating HPS by abolishment of intrapulmonary inflammation and angiogenesis. Rosuvastatin is a kind of 3-hydroxy-methyl-3-glutamyl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor. In addition to lipid-lowering effects, it has anti-inflammation and anti-angiogenesis properties. We postulated that rosuvastatin treatment can ameliorate HPS. Common bile duct ligation (CBDL) was applied in an experimental HPS animal model. CBDL rats received 2-week rosuvastatin (20 mg/kg/day) treatments from the fifteenth day after operation. The haemodynamic data, blood gas analysis, liver biochemistries, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were examined after rosuvastatin treatment. The liver and lung tissues were dissected for histopathological studies and protein analyses. In the parallel groups, intrapulmonary shunts were determined. The haemodynamic and liver biochemistries were not changed after rosuvastatin treatment in CBDL rats, but the alveolar-arterial oxygen pressure gradient was significantly decreased, implying that HPS-induced hypoxia was reversed after rosuvastatin treatment. In addition, rosuvastatin treatment reduced intrapulmonary shunts and plasma levels of VEGF and TNF-α. Besides, the intrapulmonary protein expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-1,2 and Rho-associated A kinase were significantly down-regulated and the intrapulmonary angiogenesis was ameliorated. We concluded that rosuvastatin alleviates experimental HPS through blockade of pulmonary inflammatory angiogenesis via TNF-α/NF-κB and VEGF/Rho-associated A kinase pathways down-regulation.

Green tea polyphenol decreases the severity of portosystemic collaterals and mesenteric angiogenesis in rats with liver cirrhosis.

Abnormal angiogenesis in liver cirrhosis often leads to severe complications such as variceal haemorrhage and encephalopathy. Furthermore, splanchnic angiogenesis elevates portal pressure, in which angiogenic factors play pivotal roles. GTP (green tea polyphenol) extracted from Camellia sinensis has anti-angiogenic properties, but the effects on the parameters described above in cirrhosis have not been investigated. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of GTP in cirrhosis and to investigate the underlying mechanism. Liver cirrhosis was induced in Spraque-Dawley rats by common BDL (bile duct ligation). They randomly received GTP or DW (distilled water, vehicle) for 28 days, then haemodynamic parameters, portosystemic shunting, mesenteric window vascular density, intrahepatic angiogenesis, liver fibrosis, plasma VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) concentration, mesenteric angiogenic factor and receptor protein expression, and serum and mesenteric oxidative stress parameters were assessed. Compared with the DW group, GTP significantly decreased portosystemic shunting, liver fibrosis, intrahepatic angiogenesis, mesenteric window vascular density, VEGF concentration and down-regulated the mesenteric HIF (hypoxia-inducible factor)-1α, VEGF and phospho-Akt expression. In conclusion, GTP ameliorates the severity of portosystemic shunting and mesenteric angiogenesis via the suppression of HIF-1α, Akt activation and VEGF. GTP appears to be an appropriate agent in controlling portal hypertension-related complications via anti-angiogenesis.

Using Electronic Health Record Data to Determine the Safety of Aqueous Humor Liquid Biopsies for Molecular Analyses.

Purpose: Knowing the surgical safety of anterior chamber liquid biopsies will support the increased use of proteomics and other molecular analyses to better understand disease mechanisms and therapeutic responses in patients and clinical trials. Manual review of operative notes from different surgeons and procedures in electronic health records (EHRs) is cumbersome, but free-text software tools could facilitate efficient searches. Design: Retrospective case series. Participants: A total of 1418 aqueous humor liquid biopsies from patients undergoing intraocular surgery. Methods: Free-text EHR searches were performed using the Stanford Research Repository cohort discovery tool to identify complications associated with anterior chamber paracentesis and subsequent endophthalmitis. Complications of the surgery unrelated to the biopsy were not reviewed. Main Outcome Measures: Biopsy-associated intraoperative complications and endophthalmitis. Results: A total of 1418 aqueous humor liquid biopsies were performed by 17 experienced surgeons. EHR free-text searches were 100% error-free for surgical complications, >99% for endophthalmitis (<1% false positive), and >93.6% for anesthesia type, requiring manual review for only a limited number of cases. More than 85% of cases were performed under local anesthesia without ocular muscle akinesia. Although the most common indication was cataract (50.1%), other diagnoses included glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, uveitis, age-related macular degeneration, endophthalmitis, retinitis pigmentosa, and uveal melanoma. A 50- to 100-µL sample was collected in all cases using either a 30-gauge needle or a blunt cannula via a paracentesis. The median follow-up was >7 months. There was only one minor complication (0.07%) identified: a case of a small tear in Descemet membrane without long-term sequelae. No other complications occurred, including other corneal injuries, lens or iris trauma, hyphema, or suprachoroidal hemorrhage. There was no case of postoperative endophthalmitis. Conclusions: Anterior chamber liquid biopsy during intraocular surgery is a safe procedure and may be considered for large-scale collection of aqueous humor samples for molecular analyses. Free-text EHR searches are an efficient approach to reviewing intraoperative procedures. Financial Disclosures: Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

How Long Should Prophylactic Antibiotics be Prescribed for Permanent Pacemaker Implantations? One Day versus Three Days.

BACKGROUND: The implantation of a pacemaker is frequently a life-saving procedure. However, the process of implantation may carry an uncommon but potentially life-threatening infective complication. The prescription of prophylactic antibiotics is an effective way to reduce the risk of infection. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of 2 prophylactic antibiotic schemes and the possible risk factors associated with device-related infections. METHODS: A total of 194 consecutive patients who received permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantations were enrolled in this study. Prophylactic antibiotics were prescribed for every patient with a duration of either 1 day or 3 days. The follow-up period was 3 months, and any event of device-related infection was recorded. RESULTS: Out of the total 194 patients, there were 5 patients who experienced infective complications after PPM implantation (1 patient in the 1-day group and 4 patients in the 3-day group). The rate of infective complications showed no significant difference between the 2 kinds of antibiotic regimens (1.7% vs. 2.9%, p > 0.99). In the multivariate analysis, only the presence of pocket hematoma was an independent risk factor for infective complications (odds ratio = 3.14, p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the efficacies for prevention of PPM-related infections were similar between the 1-day and 3-day regimens of prophylactic antibiotics. Pocket hematoma was an independent risk factor of infective complications, and a longer duration of antibiotic treatment may be considered for these patients. Otherwise, a 1-day course of antibiotic prophylaxis may be effective enough to prevent device-related infections, and may further reduce the lengths of hospitalizations. KEY WORDS: Complication; Infection; Permanent pacemaker implantation; Prophylatic antibiotics.

Intraoperative optical coherence tomography-guided deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty.

Gauging stromal dissection depth is crucial to successfully perform deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) surgery. Intraoperative optical coherence tomography (iOCT) offers a promising tool to aid DALK surgery but visualization of surgical maneuvers is impaired due to artifacts from metallic instruments. We describe a novel surgical technique utilizing suture-assisted iOCT guidance that facilitates clear visualization of corneal dissection planes during DALK. A stromal dissection tunnel is performed with a Fogla probe and its depth is subsequently identified by threading a 1 cm segment of 8-0 nylon into the tunnel. In contrast to the Fogla probe, the 8-0 nylon is conspicuously highlighted on iOCT. If the tunnel is too superficial, a separate, deeper stromal tunnel can be created and visualized again with the 8-0 nylon suture and iOCT. This iterative process facilitates a deep stromal dissection, increasing the probability of successful big-bubble formation and Descemet baring DALK surgery. This technique was utilized for a successful big-bubble DALK in a patient with severe keratoconus.

Preparing the Ocular Surface for a Boston Keratoprosthesis Type 1 Through En Bloc Minor Salivary Gland Transplantation and Mucous Membrane Grafting in End-Stage Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

PURPOSE: This case describes the successful visual restoration of a patient with end-stage Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) with a severely keratinized ocular surface. METHODS: This study is a case report. RESULTS: A 67-year-old man with SJS secondary to allopurinol sought visual rehabilitation options. His ocular surface was severely compromised from sequelae of chronic SJS, leaving him with light perception vision bilaterally. The left eye was completely keratinized with severe ankyloblepharon. The right eye had failed penetrating keratoplasty, limbal stem cell deficiency, and a keratinized ocular surface. The patient declined both a Boston type 2 keratoprosthesis and a modified osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis. Therefore, a staged approach was pursued with (1) systemic methotrexate to control ocular surface inflammation, (2) minor salivary gland transplant to increase ocular surface lubrication, (3) lid margin mucous membrane graft to reduce keratinization, and finally, (4) Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis for visual restoration. After minor salivary gland transplant and mucous membrane graft, the Schirmer score improved from 0 mm to 3 mm with improvement in ocular surface keratinization. This approach successfully restored the vision to 20/60, and the patient has retained the keratoprosthesis for over 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Sight restoration options are limited in patients with end-stage SJS with a keratinized ocular surface, aqueous and mucin deficiency, corneal opacification, and limbal stem cell deficiency. This case demonstrates successful ocular surface rehabilitation and vision restoration in such a patient through a multifaceted approach that resulted in successful implantation and retention of a Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis.

Aliskiren reduces portal pressure in portal hypertensive rats.

BACKGROUND: Aliskiren is a direct renin inhibitor used in the treatment for arterial hypertension. It can also augment nitric oxide (NO) production, which plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension and modulation of porto-systemic collaterals. This study investigated the effects of aliskiren on portal pressure and porto-systemic collaterals of portal vein-ligated (PVL) rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sham-operated and PVL rats received aliskiren (50 mg/kg per day) or distilled water (control) treatment for 10 days. The mean arterial pressure and portal pressure were measured by catheterization of the right femoral artery and mesenteric vein, while the superior mesenteric arterial blood flow was measured by Doppler technique. The left adrenal vein and superior mesentery artery were dissected for mRNA study. The PVL rats also underwent preincubation with (i) Krebs solution (control); (ii) 10(-4) M aliskiren; or (iii) 10(-4) M aliskiren plus nonselective NO inhibitor N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine (10(-4) M), followed by the addition of arginine vasopressin (AVP) to evaluate the collateral vascular responsiveness. RESULTS: Aliskiren had systemic arterial pressure- and portal pressure-lowering effects in PVL rats. Superior mesentery arterial resistance also decreased. The constitutive NO synthase was enhanced in the left adrenal vein and superior mesentery artery after aliskiren treatment. Aliskiren attenuated the collateral vasoconstrictive effects of AVP, but the vasodilatory effects were abolished after nonselective NO synthase inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic aliskiren use reduces portal pressure in portal hypertensive rats partly due to the modulation of splanchnic and collateral NO synthase.

Structural and Metabolic Imaging After Short-term Use of the Balance Goggles System in Glaucoma Patients: A Pilot Study.

PRCIS: Short-term use of the Balance Goggles System (BGS) in glaucoma patients was not associated with the observable changes in conventional ocular coherence tomography (OCT) imaging, but metabolic imaging using peripapillary flavoprotein fluorescence (FPF) may represent a useful adjuctive investigation. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering effects of the BGS are accompanied by changes in retinal thickness measured by OCT, retinal vascular density measured by ocular coherence tomography-angiography (OCTA), or novel peripapillary metabolic profiling using FPF measured by a fundus camera. DESIGN: Prospective comparative case-series. SUBJECTS: Eight eyes from 8 patients with open angle glaucoma ranging from mild to severe. METHODS: In this prospective, single-center, open-label, nonrandomized, and single-arm study patients received a baseline evaluation including retinal imaging, then 1 hour of negative pressure application through the BGS, followed by repeat retinal imaging. Participants then used the BGS at home for 1 month and underwent a repeat evaluation at the conclusion of the trial. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in nerve fiber layer thickness, OCTA vascular parameters, and FPF scores. RESULTS: Mean baseline IOP was 18.0±3.1 mmHg and there was no significant change in IOP at follow-up. At 1 month compared with baseline, there was a statistically significant improvement in FPF optic nerve head rim scores (12.7±11.6 to 10.5±7.5; P =0.04). In addition, there was a trend toward an increase in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness after 1 month (69.5±14.2 to 72.0±13.7; P =0.1), but there were no statistically significant differences observable with any of the OCTA vascular parameters either at 1 hour or after 1 month. CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant changes observable using conventional OCT imaging after short-term use of the BGS, although metabolic imaging using FPF may be a useful potential biomarker to complement existing investigations. Additional studies are warranted to further investigate these changes.

Effectiveness of Netarsudil as an Additional Therapy for Glaucoma in Patients Already on Maximally Tolerated Medical Therapy.

PURPOSE: This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of netarsudil (Rhopressa) in patients with inadequately controlled IOP on otherwise maximally tolerated medical therapy. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of patients started on netarsudil at Stanford University. Exclusion criteria included glaucoma surgery or laser within 6 months of starting netarsudil and other modifications to the baseline medication regimen within 4 weeks of starting netarsudil. The primary outcome was treatment success, defined as IOP reduction meeting a predetermined target, and no further medication, laser, or surgery recommended subsequent to starting netarsudil. RESULTS: Sixty-two eyes were included, and 36 (58%) achieved treatment success at first follow-up. Mean baseline IOP was 19.5 ± 5.6 mmHg on a mean of 3.5 ± 0.7 ocular hypotensive medications. The mean change in IOP from baseline to first follow-up was -3.53 mmHg (-17%). In patients who achieved treatment success, mean IOP change was -5.22 mmHg (-28.0%). Of the eyes with baseline IOP ≤ 20 mmHg, 69% achieved treatment success, compared to only 17% of eyes with baseline IOP ≥ 21 mmHg (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Netarsudil is effective in lowering IOP for patients on otherwise maximally tolerated medical therapy, for which glaucoma laser or surgery would have been the only remaining therapeutic options. Treatment success was more likely in eyes with baseline IOP under 20 mmHg.

Early clinical exposure improves medical students' recognition of the need for professionalism and interprofessional collaboration.

BACKGROUND: Medical students in Taiwan start their clerkship in their fifth year. A lack of early clinical exposure can mean they have a lack of medical professionalism and collaborative practice. This study investigates whether early engagement in hospital-based clinical practice could improve their understanding of these requirements. METHODS: From 2017 to 2019, a total of 59 medical students at the end of their third year joined a 2-week summer camp at the hospital. Every participant was assigned to work with one patient and they accompanied this patient throughout their hospital course. The students were also asked to interview other medical professionals within the hospital and to write up interview reports. In addition, they had to complete pre- and postcamp questionnaires which included 10 questions to evaluate their recognition of professionalism, doctor-patient relationships, and interprofessional collaboration. Answers to the questions were all rated using a 5-score Likert scale. RESULTS: The total postcamp Likert scores were significantly increased after the 2-week training camp compared with the precourse scores (pre- vs postcourse: 44.08 ± 0.45 vs 46.66 ± 0.33, p < 0.001). In addition, the students' recognition of medical professionalism, the importance of communication with patients, and their respect for other medical professionals were significantly improved after the 2-week training. CONCLUSION: Our data showed that early clinical exposure through a preclerkship summer camp can help medical students improve their recognition of medical professionalism and interprofessional collaboration.

Predictors of inappropriate atrial sensing in long-term VDD-pacing systems.

AIMS: The efficacy and stability of the atrial electrode sensing function is essential for maintaining atrioventricular (AV) synchrony. This study aimed to explore the long-term reliability and causes of the long-term sensing failure of VDD systems. METHODS AND RESULTS: We enrolled all the patients with complete or high-degree AV block who received VDD pacemakers between August 1994 to January 2006 and who were followed up for more than 12 months. The interrogation parameters, including the atrial potentials (APs) and AV-synchrony ratio were acquired immediately post-implantation and at 3-6 month intervals thereafter. An inappropriate atrial sensing efficacy was defined as an AV-synchrony ratio of <90%. Totally 157 patients (70 +/- 12 years, 103 males) were enrolled into the study with a follow-up for 4.9 +/- 2.5 years. Twenty-six patients (16.6%) suffered from inappropriate atrial sensing. According to a Kaplan-Meier analysis, the incidence of inappropriate atrial sensing was higher in the patients with an age > or =72 years old (P = 0.047), mean AP during the implantation of <3.0 mV (P = 0.015), concomitant use of non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (CCBs) (P = 0.003), and atrial fibrillation (AF) (P < 0.001). A Cox regression analysis showed that non-dihydropyridine CCBs (hazard ratio, 3.255; 95% confidence interval, 1.148-9.227, P = 0.026) and AF (hazard ratio, 6.507; 95% confidence interval, 2.478-17.104, P < 0.001) predicted inappropriate atrial sensing. CONCLUSION: VDD pacing is a reliable pacing modality. However, we should monitor the pacemaker sensing function in the patients with the concomitant use of non-dihydropyridine CCBs and AF.

Time-dependent deformation of artificial muscles based on Nylon 6.

Considering the potential applications of the Nylon 6 with thermal-induced deformation, we studied the creep deformation of non-twisted Nylon 6 wires and Nylon 6 artificial muscles as functions of annealing temperature. For comparison, we also studied the creep deformation of chicken muscle fibers in a temperature range of 20 to 35 °C. The experimental results showed that we could use the standard linear viscoelastic model to describe the creep deformation of the chicken muscle fibers, the non-twisted Nylon 6 wires, and the Nylon 6 artificial muscles. A simple method was developed to calculate the mechanical (elastic) constants and viscous resistance coefficient (viscosity) of the three different materials. The activation energy for the creep deformation of the chicken muscle fibers in the temperature of 20 to 35 °C was 18.79 kJ/mol. For the non-twisted Nylon 6 wires, the activation energy for the creep deformation was generally larger than that of the chicken muscle fibers, and was dependent on the annealing temperature. For the Nylon 6 artificial muscles, the activation energy for the creep deformation was smaller than that of the chicken muscle fibers.

Cataract Surgery and Rate of Visual Field Progression in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that cataract surgery slows the apparent rate of visual field (VF) decay in primary open-angle glaucoma patients compared with rates measured during cataract progression. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Consecutive open-angle glaucoma patients who underwent cataract surgery and who had ≥4 VFs and ≥3 years of follow-up before and after surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Mean deviation (MD) rate, visual field index (VFI) rate, pointwise linear regression (PLR), pointwise rate of change (PRC), and the Glaucoma Rate Index (GRI) were compared before and after cataract surgery. RESULTS: A total of 134 eyes of 99 patients were included. Median (interquartile range) follow-up was 6.5 (4.7-8.1) and 5.3 (4.0-7.3) years before and after cataract surgery, respectively. All intraocular pressure (IOP) parameters (mean IOP, standard deviation of IOP, and peak IOP) significantly improved (P < .001) after cataract surgery. All VF indices indicated an accelerated VF decay rate after cataract surgery: MD rate (-0.18 ± 0.40 dB/year vs -0.40 ± 0.62 dB/year, P < .001), VFI rate (-0.44% ± 1.09%/year vs -1.19% ± 1.85%/year, P < .001), GRI (-5.5 ± 10.8 vs -13.5 ± 21.5; P < .001), and PRC (-0.62% ± 2.47%/year before and -1.35% ± 3.71%/year after surgery; P < .001) and PLR (-0.20 ± 0.82 dB/year before and -0.42 ± 1.16 dB/year after surgery; P < .001) for all VF locations. Worse baseline MD and postoperative peak IOP were significantly associated with the postoperative VF decay rate and the change in the decay rate after cataract surgery. CONCLUSION: Although all IOP parameters improved after cataract surgery, VFs continued to progress. Cataract surgery does not slow the apparent rate of glaucomatous VF decay as compared to rates measured during the progression of the cataract.

Effect of ivabradine, a funny current inhibitor, on portal hypertensive rats.

BACKGROUND: Ivabradine is a funny current inhibitor which is administered to patients with congestive heart failure to reduce their heart rate (HR) and attenuate oxidative stress. Chronic liver diseases are characterized by portal hypertension and hyperdynamic circulation with tachycardia. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of ivabradine on portal hypertension. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats received partial portal vein ligation (PVL) to induce portal hypertension. The PVL rats were randomly allocated to receive either vehicle or ivabradine treatment for 10 days. Then the hemodynamic data were collected. The levels of oxidative stress markers and the mRNA expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) were measured in the collateral vessel, the superior mesentery artery and the liver. In addition, the collateral vascular responsiveness to arginine vasopressin (AVP) was examined in the ivabradine-treated and vehicle-treated PVL rats. RESULTS: Treatment with ivabradine significantly lowered the HR (174 ± 20 vs. 374 ± 9 beats/min; p < 0.001) and the superior mesentery arterial flow (SMAf) (6.6 ± 0.3 vs. 9.1 ± 0.7 mL/min/100 g BW; p = 0.005) of the PVL rats compared with the control group. The mean arterial pressure, cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance, portal pressure and serum levels of oxidative stress markers were not significantly affected by ivabradine treatment. In addition, the NOS expression and collateral vascular responsiveness to AVP were not significantly influenced by ivabradine treatment, either. CONCLUSION: Ivabradine reduced the HR and SMAf in PVL rats, which alleviated the hyperdynamic circulatory state and splanchnic hyperemia of portal hypertension. However, whether these effects would help alleviate portal hypertension-related complications requires further clinical investigations.

Comparison of simulated keratometric changes following wavefront-guided and wavefront-optimized myopic laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to determine and compare the relationship between change in simulated keratometry (K) and degree of refractive correction in wavefront-guided (WFG) and wavefront-optimized (WFO) myopic laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). METHODS: A total of 51 patients were prospectively randomized to WFG LASIK in one eye and WFO LASIK in the contralateral eye at the Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University. Changes in simulated K and refractive error were determined at 1 year post-operatively. Linear regression was employed to calculate the slope of change in simulated K (ΔK) for change in refractive error (ΔSE). The mean ratio (ΔK/ΔSE) was also calculated. RESULTS: The ratio of ΔK to ΔSE was larger for WFG LASIK compared to WFO LASIK when comparing the slope (ΔK/ΔSE) as determined by linear regression (0.85 vs 0.83, p = 0.04). Upon comparing the mean ratio (ΔK/ΔSE), subgroup analysis revealed that ΔK/ΔSE was larger for WFG LASIK for refractive corrections of >3.00 D and >4.00 D (0.89 vs 0.83; p = 0.0323 and 0.88 vs 0.83; p = 0.0466, respectively). Both linear regression and direct comparison of the mean ratio (ΔK/ΔSE) for refractive corrections <4.00 D and >4.00 D revealed no difference in ΔK/ΔSE between smaller and larger refractive corrections. CONCLUSION: WFO LASIK requires a smaller amount of corneal flattening compared to WFG LASIK for a given degree of refractive correction. For both, there was no significant difference in change in corneal curvature for a given degree of refractive error between smaller and larger corrections.