A novel model of subretinal edema induced by DL-alpha aminoadipic acid.

In this study we described a new model of subretinal edema induced by single intraocular injection of DL-alpha-aminoadipic acid (DLAAA) that can be employed to study the mechanism of retinal edema and test the efficacy or potential toxicity of treatments. The progression of subretinal edema was evaluated by fundus photography, fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography for up to 4 weeks following DLAAA injection. The VEGF, IL-6, TNF-α, Occludin, ZO-1, AQP4, Kir4.1, GFAP and GS levels were examined in DLAAA models by immunostaining, immumohistochemical staining and Western blot. Additionally, bulk RNA-seq was used to detect the mechanism involved in DLAAA-induced retinal Müller cellular injuries. In vivo and vitro assays were further conducted to confirm the sequencing results. Subretinal edema was successfully induced by DLAAA in New Zealand White rabbits (1.29 mg/eye) and C57BL/6 mice (50 or 100 µg/eye). Our results demonstrated that the disruption of blood-retinal-barrier, including vascular hyperpermeability, inflammation, and Müller cell dysfunction of fluid clearance, was involved in subretinal edema formation in the model. Bulk RNA-seq and in vitro studies indicated the activation of p38 MAPK signaling pathway in DLAAA models. This DLAAA-induced subretinal edema model can be used for mechanistic studies or drug screening.

Monitoring of Fluoride Content in Drinking Water by Ion Chromatography: A Case Study in the Suzhou Urban Area, China.

BACKGROUND: Both deficient and excessive intake of fluoride can lead to adverse health problems. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the fluoride content in three types of drinking water in Suzhou urban area. METHOD: Ion chromatography was employed to conduct the validation of analysis of fluoride ion in water and the method was applied to analyze the concentration of fluoride in 22 drinking water samples, including tap water, purified water, and commercially available bottled water, collected from five municipal districts of Suzhou urban area. RESULTS: The method was validated in the range of 0.05-2.00 mg/L with good repeatability and accuracy. Results of water analysis indicated that fluoride content in tap water ranged from 0.267 to 0.336 mg/L (average 0.304 mg/L), and the levels of fluoride in purified water and bottled water were 0.068-0.317 mg/L (average 0.134 mg/L) and 0-0.120 mg/L (average 0.080 mg/L), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of fluoride in all samples analyzed were lower than the limit set for fluoride in drinking water according to the China standard (1.0 mg/L). Low fluoride exposure for the population in the studied area was observed, and the replacement of tap water with purified and bottled water could further aggravate the deficiency of fluoride intake for local residents. HIGHLIGHTS: The present study is the first to characterize the fluoride content in these three types of drinking water in Suzhou urban area by ion chromatography.