Toxicity evaluation of zinc oxide nanoparticles in vitro and in vivo on cornea / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To observe the toxic effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles(ZnO NPs)on cornea by constructing intoxicated model in vivo and in vitro.METHODS:Human corneal epithelial cells(HCEpiC)were cultured in vitro and exposed to different concentrations(0.5, 5, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 250 μg/mL)of ZnO NPs for 24h. The cell culture medium without nano-solution was used as the blank control group. The viability of the cells was assessed by MTT assay. Three different concentrations(25, 50 and 100 μg/mL)of ZnONPs dispersions were exposed to the conjunctival sac of anesthetized mice three times a day for 7d consecutively. The phosphate buffered saline(PBS)eye group was the PBS control group. Corneal morphology was observed on 1, 3, 5 and 7d, and the eyes were removed on 8d for various laboratory examinations, including corneal pathological changes and expression levels of inflammatory factors(TNF-α, IL-6).RESULTS:After treatment of HCEpiC cells with different concentrations of ZnO NPs for 24h, the MTT results showed that Zno NPs cause damage to cells at 0.5 μg/mL, and the cell survival rate was about 80%(P<0.05). Half of the cells were killed at a dose of 5 μg/mL, the damaging effect on cells in the concentration range of 5～250 μg/mL was concentration-dependent(P<0.0001). After 7d of conjunctival capsule spotting in mice, dot-like staining of fluorescein was seen in the 25 μg/mL ZnO NPs and 50 μg/mL ZnO NPs groups. Localized circular fluorescein stained areas were seen in the corneas of the 100 μg/mL ZnO NPs group. HE staining showed that the corneal epithelial layer, stromal layer thickness and stromal layer immune cell number did not change significantly in the 25 μg/mL and 50 μg/mL ZnO NPs groups(all P>0.05), while the corneal epithelial layer thinned, the corneal stromal layer thickened and the stromal layer immune cells increased significantly in the 100 μg/mL ZnO NPs group(all P<0.05). Immunohistochemical staining showed that the number of corneal stromal immune cells producing TNF-α and IL-6 and the mean integral optical density(IOD)values of TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly higher in the 100 μg/mL ZnO NPs group than in the PBS control group(P<0.05), and the degree of inflammation response was concentration-dependent. Compared with the PBS control group, no significant increase in immune cell count and IOD values in the 25 μg/mL ZnO NPs and 50 μg/mL ZnO NPs groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION:The toxic damaging effect of ZnO NPs on the cornea was confirmed from both in vitro and in vivo, which provided a theoretical basis for the ocular safety evaluation of ZnO NPs.

Comparative study between the features of FFA and OCT in diabetic macular edema / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AlM: To assess the correlation between the features of optical coherencetomography ( OCT ) and fundus fluorescein angiography ( FFA) in diabetic macular edema ( DEM) . METHODS: Totally 70 patients (135 eyes) with diabetic retinopathy ( DR) were evaluated by central vision, best corrected visual acuity ( BCVA ) , intraocular pressure, indirect ophthalmoscopy, slit lamp microscope combined+ 90D front mirror mydriatic fundus examination, mydriatic fundus color photography, OCT, FFA, the correlation between FFA and OCT were analyzed. RESULTS: ln mild macular oedema cases, abnormalities in FFA was 56 eyes, abnormalities in OCT was 68 eyes (P=0. 0009);FFA showed 12 normal eyes, 10 eyes in OCT were characterized by diffused macular oedema; FFA was performed with cystoid macular oedema, OCT was 46. 7% with cystoid type . CONCLUSlON: DME is diagnosed by Combination FFA with OCT, OCT is an indispensable tool when following up DME, and it has advantage in early application.

Expression of adenosine receptors in human retinal pigment epithelium cells in vitro / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Adenosine receptors (ADORs) have been reported to play a role in experimental myopia. This study aimed to determine the distribution of ADORs in human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells cultured in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human RPE cells (cell line D407) were cultured in vitro. ADOR mRNA in RPE was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. ADOR protein expression in RPE was confirmed by Western blotting analysis of cell lysates. Confocal fluorescence microscopy was used to study the subcellular distribution of ADORs.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All four subtypes of ADORs mRNA and protein were expressed in human RPE. This was confirmed by Western blotting analysis. The ADOR subtypes were differently distributed within the cells. ADORA1 was expressed in nucleus, perinucleus and cytoplasm of RPE. ADORA2A was concentrated mainly in one side of the perinucleus and cytoplasm of RPE. ADORA2B was strongly expressed in the nucleus, perinucleus and the cytoplasm, and ADORA3 was expressed weakly in the cytoplasm of RPE.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>ADORs are expressed in human RPE. The different distribution at the subcellular level suggests different functions of ADOR subtypes.</p>

Difference of gene expression between the central and the peripheral epithelia of the bovine lens / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Equatorial lens epithelial cells proliferate and differentiate into fiber cells throughout life, while central lens epithelial cells proliferate little and do not form fiber cells. This study aimed to investigate the differences in gene expression between the central and the peripheral epithelial cells of the bovine lens.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Lens epithelia were dissected into central (<or= 11.5 mm diameter, cLEC) and peripheral regions (pLEC). The differences in gene expression and protein accumulation between these two regions were assayed by microarray analysis and two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Differently expressed proteins were validated by immunoanalyses.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>By microarray analysis, 67 transcripts were at least two-fold lower and 269 at least two-fold higher in pLEC compared with that in cLEC. Thirty-four protein spots, including 20 in cLEC and 14 in pLEC, were identified by two dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Of these 34 protein products, 28 were represented by probe sets on the microarray. Nine transcripts changed in the same direction and four transcripts in the opposite direction to their protein products. Immunoanalyses revealed that three (mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), nidogen (NID), small nuclear ribonucleoprotein N (SNRPN)) out of four transcripts with opposite change between 2-DE and microarray assay showed the same changes as the results of 2-DE gel analyses. The genes differently expressed between cLEC and pLEC mainly include those related to the MAPK, transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) signaling and glycolysis pathways.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results suggested that there were distinctly different genome activities, including a specific group of pathways, between central and peripheral lens epithelial cells.</p>