Novel endogenous lipid-mediated molecules including lipoxins, resolvins, protectins, and maresin families are discovered recently and are collectively called specialized proresolving lipid mediators (SPMs). SPMs have the potential to promote the resolution of inflammation, the elimination of pathogen, and the restoration of homeostasis.Meanwhile, SPMs also have the function of apoptosis inhibition, wound healing, and neuroprotection.SPMs play an important role in the treatment of many eye diseases, such as corneal inflammatory diseases, dry eye, uveitis, retinal and choroidal neovascularization diseases, etc.In this article, the mechanisms involving the role of SPMs in the occurrence and progress of eye diseases were reviewed to provide a general new basis for the future development of new ophthalmic drugs.

BACKGROUNDGlaucoma, an irreversible optic nerve neuropathy, always results in blindness. This study aimed to evaluate glaucoma-like features in the rat episcleral vein cauterization (EVC) model by multiple in vivo and in vitro evidences.

METHODSWistar rat was used in this study. The elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) was induced by cauterization of three episcleral veins. IOP was monitored with Tono-Pen XL tonometer. Time-dependent changes to the neuronal retinal layers were quantified by Fourier domain-optical coherence tomography. The function of retina was evaluated by electroretinogram (ERG). Survival of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) was quantified by retrograde labeling. Histology study was performed with retinal sections stained with hematoxylin-eosin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and neuronal nuclear antigen. Retina and aqueous humor protein were extracted and cytotoxic protein tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and alpha-2 macroglobulin (α2m) were measured with Western blotting.

RESULTSEVC is a relatively facile intervention, with low failure rates (<5%). After surgical intervention, chronic mild IOP elevation (about 1.6-fold over normal, P < 0.05) was induced for at least 6 weeks without requiring a second intervention. High IOP causes chronic and progressive loss of RGCs (averaging about 4% per week), progressive thinning of neuronal retinal layers (3-5 μm per week), and reduction of a- and b-wave in ERG. EVC method can also induce glial cell activation and alterations of inflammation proteins, such as TNF-α and α2m.

CONCLUSIONEVC method can establish a robust, reliable, economic and highly reproducible glaucomatous animal model.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electroretinography ; Female ; Glaucoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Retina ; metabolism ; pathology ; Retinal Neurons ; metabolism

Animals ; Macaca mulatta ; Optic Disk ; Glaucoma ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Intraocular Pressure ; Low Tension Glaucoma