Vitreoretinal biomarkers of retinopathy of prematurity using handheld optical coherence tomography: a review.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is caused by abnormal retinal vascularization in premature infants that has the potential for severe long-term vision impairment. Recent advancements in handheld optical coherence tomography (OCT) have enabled noninvasive, high-resolution, cross-sectional imaging of the infant eye at the bedside. The use of handheld OCT devices in the diagnosis of ROP in premature infants has furthered our understanding of disease state and progression. This review discusses the known and novel biomarkers of ROP severity in premature infants identified through handheld OCT and potential for future directions.

Calpains as mechanistic drivers and therapeutic targets for ocular disease.

Ophthalmic neurodegenerative diseases encompass a wide array of molecular pathologies unified by calpain dysregulation. Calpains are calcium-dependent proteases that perpetuate cellular death and inflammation when hyperactivated. Calpain inhibition trials in other organs have faced pharmacological challenges, but the eye offers many advantages for the development and testing of targeted molecular therapeutics, including small molecules, peptides, engineered proteins, drug implants, and gene-based therapies. This review highlights structural mechanisms underlying calpain activation, distinct cellular expression patterns, and in vivo models that link calpain hyperactivity to human retinal and developmental disease. Optimizing therapeutic approaches for calpain-mediated eye diseases can help accelerate clinically feasible strategies for treating calpain dysregulation in other diseased tissues.

Hematological and serum biochemical profile values in pregnant and non-pregnant mares.

Pregnancy in many mammals, including mares, is associated with physiological changes that are reflected in hematological and biochemical profiles. Understanding those physiological changes and differentiating them from pathological changes is imperative for providing care and medical therapy in pregnant mares. Our objective was to compare normal hematological and biochemical profiles in healthy non-pregnant as well as healthy pregnant mares during the 1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy. Blood was collected by jugular venipuncture into ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and serum tubes. Whole blood was analyzed using an ADVIA 120 hematologic analyzer and serum was analyzed using a Beckman Coulter AU5400. Statistical differences were detected using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent Student's t-test; P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results demonstrated higher red blood cell counts and hemoglobin concentrations and lower eosinophil counts (P < 0.001) in non-pregnant mares (n = 32) compared with pregnant mares at both 1st (n = 25) and 2nd (n = 17) trimesters. Biochemical analysis showed a significant decrease (P < 0.001) in albumin and blood urea nitrogen (P < 0.001) in the 2nd trimester and higher potassium levels (P = 0.03) in pregnant mares. Understanding such physiological changes is imperative to providing optimum care and medical treatment in mares. These data will assist clinicians to better evaluate and treat pregnant mares.

La gestation chez plusieurs mammifères, incluant les juments, est associée avec des changements physiologiques qui se reflètent dans les profils hématologiques et biochimiques. Comprendre ces changements physiologiques et les différencier des changements pathologiques est impératif afin de fournir les soins et thérapies médicales chez les juments gestantes. Notre objectif était de comparer les profils hématologiques et biochimiques chez des juments non-gestantes en santé ainsi que chez des juments gestantes en santé durant les 1er et 2e trimestres de gestation. Du sang fut prélevé par ponction de la veine jugulaire dans un tube avec anticoagulant (EDTA) ainsi que dans un tube pour sérum. Le sang entier fut analysé à l'aide d'un analyseur hématologiques ADVIA 120 et le sérum analysé avec un Beckman Coulter AU5400. Des différences statistiques furent détectées par analyse de variance (ANOVA) et par test de t indépendant de Student; une valeur de P < 0,05 était considérée significative. Les résultats montraient une augmentation du comptage d'érythrocytes et des concentrations d'hémoglobine plus élevées ainsi qu'un dénombrement d'éosinophiles plus bas (P < 0,001) chez les juments non-gestantes (n = 32) comparativement aux juments gestantes autant au 1er (n = 25) qu'au 2e (n = 17) trimestre. Les analyses biochimiques ont montré une diminution significative (P < 0,001) de l'albumine et de l'urée sanguine (P < 0,001) dans le 2e trimestre et des niveaux plus élevés de potassium chez les juments gestantes (P = 0,03). La compréhension de ces changements physiologiques est impérative afin de fournir les soins et traitements médicaux optimums chez les juments. Ces résultats aideront les cliniciens à mieux évaluer et traiter les juments gestantes.(Traduit par Docteur Serge Messier).