AIM: To investigate the antioxidant effect of hydralazine under hypoxia-induced damage on retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) cells and the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in this effect.METHODS: Human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cells were used to investigate the effect of hydralazine on oxidative stress, including tert-butyl hydroxyperoxide (t-BHP), H2O2, sodium azide (NaN3), and hypoxia induced cell damage. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay.RESULTS: When ARPE-19 cells were treated with oxidative stress induced by ROS, hydralazine showed concentration-dependent protection against t-BHP, H2O2 and hypoxia induced cell damage but not NaN3. Nitric oxide (NO) was not involved in this effect.CONCLUSION: Hydralazine showed antioxidant potential against oxidative stress induced damage in ARPE-19 cells. These effects might be caused through scavenger of ROS. Thus, hydralazine could be used for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Although isolated cranial nerve palsies are common in diabetic patients, multiple, simultaneous cranial neuropathies are rare. We describe the second case of a complete superior orbital fissure syndrome including the optic nerve in a middle-aged Papuan man with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus. The differential diagnosis included septic cavernous sinus thrombosis and Tolosa Hunt syndrome, and management was initially directed at excluding these serious, treatable conditions.
Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis - diagnosis ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - diagnosis ; New Guinea ; Oculomotor Nerve Diseases - diagnosis ; Oculomotor Nerve Diseases - etiology ; Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome - diagnosis

AIM: To investigate the mechanism of proliferation effect induced by (R,R)-XY-10 and (S,S)-XY-10 on retinal pigmented epithelial cells(ARPE-19).METHODS: Human retinal pigmented epithelial cells(ARPE-19) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used to investigate the effect of (R,R)-XY-10 and (S,S)-XY-10 on cell growth,and their mechanisms of proliferative action by using ERK、 AKT、PI3K、Protein kinase C (PKC)and Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors.RESULTS: (R,R)-XY-10 and (S,S)-XY-10 dose-dependently increased ARPE-19 cell proliferation,but not on HUVECs. When treated with proliferative inhibitors,H7(5μmol/L)、hypericin(20μmol/L)、PD98059(2μmol/L)、LY294002(50μmol/L)、SH-5 (10μmol/L) and L-NAME (100μmol/L),the proliferative effect was reduced by H7、hypericin、PD98059 and LY294002,but not by SH-5 and L-NAME.CONCLUSION: (R,R)-XY-10 and (S,S)-XY-10 can induce cell proliferation through MAPK and PI3K dependent pathway. KEYWORDS: age-related macular degeneration; (R,R)-XY-10; (S,S)-XY-10; ARPE-19 cells; human umbilical vein endothelial cells; proliferation

AIM: To culture astrocytes from human donor eyes in order to understand the function of astrocytes in remodelling events in the glaucomatous optic nerve head (ONH).METHODS: Primary cultures were prepared by explantation of human ONH tissue in order to get astrocytes. Laminar criborsa (LC) cells were prepared concurrently for comparison. Astrocyte cultures could be separated from LC cells by selecting medium.Similar procedures were used for LC.RESULTS: Primary ceils grew from human optic nerve head explants 4-8 weeks after explantation. Astrocytes had different morphologies and growth characteristics from LC cells. Type 1B astrocyte cells could grow in medium without FBS. Purified cultures were obtained by second passage and could be harvested by third to fifth passage, which were prepared to use for further study, including being characterized by positive glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) staining.CONCLUSION: Precise dissection of fragment is the most important step to get clear explants for primary culture. Economic and rapid method could be useful to select cells by different mediums, which will help us to get more purified cells for further study.

Ascoviruses, iridoviruses, asfarviruses and poxviruses are all cytoplasmic DNA viruses. The evolutionary origins of cytoplasmic DNA viruses have never been fully addressed. Morphological, genetic and molecular data were used to test if all four cytoplasmic virus families (Ascoviridae, Iridoviridae, Asfarviridae, and Poxvirirdae) evolved from nuclear replicating baculoviruses and how the four virus groups are related. Molecular phylogenetic analyses using DNA polymerase predicted that cytoplasmic DNA viruses might have evolved from nuclear replicating baculoviruses, and that poxviruses and asfarviruses share a common ancestor with iridoviruses. These three cytoplasmic viruses again shared a common ancestor with ascoviruses. Morphological and genetic data predicted the same evolutionary trend as molecular data predicted. A genome sequence comparison showed that ascoviruses have more baculovirus protein homologues than do iridoviruses, which suggested that ascoviruses have evolved from baculoviruses and iridoviruses evolved from ascoviruses. Poxviruses showed genetic and morphological similarity to other cytoplamic viruses, such as ascoviruses, suggesting it has undergone reticulate evolution via hybridization, recombination and lateral gene transfer with other viruses. Within the ascovirus family, we tested if molecular phylogenetic analyses agree with biological inference; that is, ascovirus had an evolutionary trend of increasing genome size, expanding host range and widening tissue tropism for these viruses. Both molecular and biological data predicted this evolutionary trend. The phylogenetic relationship among the four species of ascovirus was predicted to be that TnAV-2 and HvAV-3 shared a common ancestor with SfAV-1 and the three virus species again shared a common ancestor with DpAV-4.

Hemoglobin Bart's hydrops fetalis, characterized by a deletion of all four a-globin genes is the most severe and lethal form of Thalassemia disease. Mortality rate usually ranges from 60-100% of cases. Given the poor overall prognosis, most countries resort to pregnancy termination or expectant management as the only options to offer affected pregnancies.
This paper presents a case of the successful management of a primigravid, diagnosed with hydrops fetalis at 29 4/7 weeks age of gestation. She delivered successfully to a live, preterm, baby boy who was later found out to have hydrops fetalis due to Hemoglobin Bart's disease, and currently, continues to thrive past eight months of age.
This report aims to improve the clinicians' knowledge regarding the work up and management of pregnant patients diagnosed with hydrops fetalis, and increase the clinician's awareness on the epidemiology, importance of targeted screening, and diagnosis of Alpha-Thalassemia in Filipino patients.

Human ; Female ; Adult ; Alpha-thalassemia ; Hydrops Fetalis ; Hemoglobin Bart's ; Hemoglobin, Sickle ; Anemia, Sickle Cell ; Prognosis

Bow hunter's stroke is a rare symptomatic vertebrobasilar insufficiency in which vertebral artery (VA) is mechanically occluded during head rotation. Various pathologic conditions have been reported as causes of bow hunter's stroke. However, bow hunter's stroke caused by facet hypertrophy of C1-2 has not been reported. A 71-year-old woman presented with symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency. Spine computed tomography showed massive facet hypertrophy on the left side of C1-2 level. A VA angiogram with her head rotated to the right revealed significant stenosis of left VA. C1-2 posterior fixation and fusion was performed to prevent serious neurologic deficit from vertebrobasilar stroke.
Aged ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Spine ; Stroke ; Vertebral Artery ; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency ; Zygapophyseal Joint

INTRODUCTIONMotor neuron damage and cortical spinal tract (CST) degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are difficult to visualise and quantify on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

CLINICAL PICTUREWe studied 8 ALS patients and 12 normal volunteers using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and fibre tractography using fibre assignment by continuous tracking (FACT) to study the fibres of the CST and the posterior thalamic radiation (PTR), a nonmotor tract.

OUTCOMEFibre tractography was successfully performed in all normal volunteers and all patients except 1. The fibre bundles of the CST, but not the PTR, were significantly reduced (P <0.05) in patients compared to normal volunteers.

CONCLUSIONFibre tractography can visualise axonal degeneration in the CST and may provide supplementary information about upper motor neuron disease in ALS patients.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ; pathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Echo-Planar Imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nerve Degeneration ; pathology ; Pyramidal Tracts ; pathology

INTRODUCTIONThe aim of the study was to describe the prevalence and risk factors for diabetic retinopathy in a multi-ethnic diabetic patient cohort referred for retinal evaluation from a nationwide diabetic retinopathy screening programme in Singapore.

MATERIALS AND METHODSSeven hundred and forty-two patients, aged 21 to 95, referred for suspected diabetic retinopathy on annual one-field non-mydriatic 45 degree retinal photographs (Topcon TRC-NW6, Topcon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) from primary care to the Singapore National Eye Centre diabetic retinopathy clinic were included. The photographs had been interpreted by 24 trained family physicians accredited every 2 years with a training programme. Patients underwent a standardised interview and examination. Fundi were examined with indirect ophthalmoscopy by 2 examiners. Presence and severity of diabetic retinopathy was graded into none, mild, moderate, severe, very severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Macular oedema and clinically significant macular oedema were also graded.

RESULTSNinety-nine per cent of patients were type 2 diabetics. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 38.1%, visionthreatening retinopathy was 11.8% and macular oedema was 6.9%. There were no racial differences. Significant predictors of any retinopathy were longer duration of diabetes, lower body mass index, being on treatment for hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia and use of diabetic medication. Predictors for vision-threatening retinopathy were younger age, longer duration of diabetes and lower body mass index.

CONCLUSIONSThe use of one-field non-mydriatic 45 degree photography as a screening tool for diabetic retinopathy resulted in a cohort of which 38.1% had diabetic retinopathy. Risk factors for diabetic retinopathy of this cohort are also presented.

Adult ; Aged ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged ; Referral and Consultation ; Singapore ; epidemiology

Adult ; Aged ; Antimalarials ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome ; drug therapy ; JC Virus ; immunology ; Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal ; drug therapy ; Male ; Mefloquine ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome