No abstract available.

No abstract available.

The retinal and choroidal blood vessels respond independently to the abruptly increased arterial pressure due to their differences in the anatomic and physiologic properties, which induce hypertensive retinopathy and hypertensive choroidopathy respectively. The authors reviewed the fluorescein angiogram retrospectively to observe the ischemic changes of the choroid in 15 cases of hypertensive choroidopathy. The ischemic changes of the choroid in hypertensive choroidopathy were characterized by generalized or sectorial filling delay which was followed by staining or leakage of dye. These findings suggest that the choroidal circulation may lead to the sectorial and generalized ischemic conditions following the abruptly increased arterial pressure due to their differences in the anatomic structures. The fluorescein angiographic findings in the hypertensive choroidopathy depend on both the degree of the circulatory disturbance and the levels of the affected choroidal vessels.
Arterial Pressure ; Blood Vessels ; Choroid ; Fluorescein Angiography* ; Fluorescein* ; Hypertensive Retinopathy ; Retinaldehyde ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Keratoconus is a bilateral noninflammatory ecstatic disease of cornea. Clinical manifestations and treatments are well-described , but the exact pathophysiology has many debates. There are many reports on pathologic abnormalities of keratoconus, but few reports on epithelial adhesion complex. The authors investigated the abnormalities in epithelial adhesion complex of keratoconus. METHODS: Using 4 corneas from 4 recipients of penetrating keratoplasty, examination was done with transmission electron microscope (Hitachi-600, Japan) after proper fixation and staining. Central and peripheral portion of each corneal tissues were examined. RESULTS: In two tissues, severe degeneration of basement membrane and Bowman's layer were found. Some degree of abnormalities was found in other tissues, which had minimal change. Some of hemidesmosomes, the most distinct part of adhesion complex, were found only in well-maintained tissue but the distribution was abnormal. CONCLUSIONS: The fact that basal plasma membrane had selectively more degenerations and changes than intercellular plasma membrane implies pathophysiology of keratoconus on adhesion complex, basal plasma membrane, basement membrane and Bowman's layer. Further study on this issue will reveal more information as to its pathophysiology.
Basement Membrane ; Cell Membrane ; Cornea ; Hemidesmosomes ; Keratoconus* ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating

This study was undertaken in an attempt to localize fibronectin and collagen type IV to the cultured retinal pigment epithelial cell by means of immunofluorescent staining and immunocytochemrcal method. Immunofluorescent staining and immunocytochemical methcds revealed fibronectin and collagen type IV localized on the extracellular membrane of the cultured retinal pigment epithelial cell. Ultrastructural immunocytochemical technique also revealed fibronectin associated with extracellular tissue. This study demonstrated that fibronectin and collagen type IV are an integral component of the extracellular matrix of the retinal pigment epithelial cell in vitro.
Collagen Type IV ; Epithelial Cells* ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Fibronectins ; Membranes ; Retinaldehyde*

This study was performed to observe the sequential charge of the morpholcgic characteristics in experimentally induced herpes simplex keratitis. Duration and morphology of corneal lesion following infection of rabbit cornea with the Kos strain of HSV-I were followed by a daily slit-lamp examination. Three types of virus inoculation methods were used such as scratching, deepithelialization, and intrastromal injection. Herpetic corneal lesions appeared 24 hours after inoculation with punctate and dendritic figures. They persisted up to 14 or 15 days. The characteristic finding in punctate herpetic keratitis was grouped, round-shaped, punctate lesion. When scratching method was emplyed, the most remarkable finding was the discontinuity of the lesion occurred along the scratching wound at relatively regular intervals. There was no difference in lesional morphology and duration between three inoculation methods.
Cornea ; Keratitis* ; Keratitis, Herpetic ; Wounds and Injuries

This study was performed to investigate the sequential changes of the retinal tissue in tissue culture condition. The human sensory retinal tissues were cultured for up to 2 weeks and 4 weeks, respectively. The initial changes showed the separation of the intercellular space and the consequent widening of the intercellular space with prolapse of cytoplasmic processes into the widened intercellular space. The internal limiting membrane was also separated from the inner retina, which led to the prolapse of the cytoplasm of the Muller cell. The growth of the Muller cell was most prominent during the 4-weeks' tissue culture period. These findings suggest that the Muller cell might contribute to the formation of cellular membrane in case of the defect of the internal limiting membrane in several pathologic conditions.
Adult ; Cell Membrane/ultrastructure ; Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neuroglia/*ultrastructure ; Retina/*ultrastructure

PURPOSE: To evaluate the morphological characteristics of the transitional zone between the corneal endothelium and the trabecular meshwork by flat preparation and electron microscopy. METHODS: The materials comprised 12 eyes examined by the flat preparation and 7 eyes by the electron microscopy. The specimens were derived from the transitional tissue between the corneal endothelium and the trabecular meshwork. The specimens in the flat preparation were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and examined by light microscopy. The specimens for scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and in transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) were examined through routine processes. RESULTS: In the specimens examined by the flat preparation, unlike peripheral corneal endothelial cells, the endothelial cell nuclei in the transitional zone were overlapped and morphologically oval. On SEM, unlike typical hexagonality and tight interdigitation of corneal endothelial cells, the endothelial cells in the transitional zone were partially successive, spaced intercellularly, and morphologically irregular. On TEM, the endothelial cells in the transitional zone were partially successive. CONCLUSIONS: The loss of cell-cell contact of endothelial cells in the transitional zone may lead to the potential proliferation capacity of endothelial cells in the transitional zone under specific conditions. Therefore, further studies on the proliferation capacity of endothelial cells in the transitional zone are needed together with more research on cell biology.
Endothelial Cells ; Endothelium, Corneal* ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Electron ; Trabecular Meshwork

Autologous pieces of rabbit conjuntival stroma were implanted into the vitreous cavity of the fellow eye. The eyes were observed at intervals of several days and were enucleated at different times for histologic examination with flat preparation method. The conjuntival stromal cells were transformed into fibroblasts during the first 72 postoperative hours. The cells composing the proliferations included fibroblast and occasional cuboidal to ovoid cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm containing occasional pigment granules. This study showed that vitreous cavity acted as a media for "in vivo" culture of the autologous tissue and also provided a scaffold for intraocular proliferation of the autologous conjuntival stroma.
Cytoplasm ; Eosinophils ; Fibroblasts ; Stromal Cells

PURPOSE: To investigate the replication of HSV within cultured cell and axonal transport of HSV within the axon of the ciliary nerve following the injection of HSV into a cultured ciliary nerve. METHODS: The explant of the ciliary nerve was cultured with a medium containing nerve growth factor for 30 days when the suspension of HSV-1 (Kos strain) was introduced into the culture dish to co-culture with the ciliary nerve. The ciliary nerve was examined with transmission electron microscopy 30 days after culture and 6 days after co-culture with HSV. RESULTS: The ultrastructure of the explant of the ciliary nerve co-cultured with HSV showed that the viral capsid acquired a viral envelope and viral core, and a capsid and inclusion body within the nucleus. The enveloped virus was scattered within the vesicles of the cytoplasm. The virus-like particles were identified at the axonal fibers. CONCLUSIONS: The co-culture of the explant of the ciliary nerve and HSV showed the replicative process of the HSV within the cultured cell. The virus-like particles within the axon showed the evidence axonal transport of the virus under culture conditions.
Axonal Transport* ; Axons ; Capsid ; Cells, Cultured ; Coculture Techniques ; Cytoplasm ; Herpes Simplex* ; Herpesvirus 1, Human ; Inclusion Bodies ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Nerve Growth Factor ; Simplexvirus*