PURPOSE: We evaluated whether lipoic acid as antioxidant could inhibit expression of VEGF and STAT3 in experimental diabetic rat retina. METHODS: Diabetes was induced chemically by injection of streptozotocin in 12 rats of 18 Sprague-Dawley rats. After induction of diabetes, lipoic acid was injected into the peritonium in 6 rats. So all rats were divided into 3 groups, normal group (n=6), diabetes mellitus (DM) group (n=6), lipoic acid treated group (n=6). The ocular tissue of the rats were collected on 8 weeks after diabetes induction. Difference of VEGF and STAT3 expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, western blot. The change of VEGF and STAT3 in lipoic acid treated group were evaluated in these experimental model. RESULTS: The VEGF and STAT3 expression was elevated in diabetic rat retina. The active form STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3 was also elevated. The VEGF and STAT3 expression in lipoic acid treated group was lower than DM group. CONCLUSIONS: The lipoic acid could inhibit the VEGF and STAT3 expression in diabetic rat retina.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Immunohistochemistry ; Models, Theoretical ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Retina* ; Streptozocin ; Thioctic Acid* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of cyclosporin A, corticosteroid, autologous serum in patients with severe dry eye syndrome. METHODS: Patients (72 eyes) with severe dry eye syndrome were classified into four groups were treated for 3 months. Each group was treated with 0.05% cyclosporin A, 1% rimexolone, 20% autologous serum, and artificial tears. Before and after treatment (2, 4, 8, 12 weeks), Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), tear film break-up time (BUT), Schirmer test, corneal sensitivity, and lissamine green staining score were measured. RESULTS: After treatment, OSDI, tear film BUT, Schirmer test, corneal sensitivity, and the lissamine green staining score were improved in groups using cyclosporin A, autologous serum and corticosteroid(p<0.05), but clinical effects did not improve in the group using artificial tears except for corneal sensitivity (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Antiinflammatory theraphy is more effective than the conventional symptomatic theraphy in patients with severe dry eye syndrome.
Cyclosporine ; Dry Eye Syndromes* ; Humans ; Ophthalmic Solutions ; Tears

Background: Recent studies have indicated that hyperuricemia is associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to examine the association between sitting time and hyperuricemia in Korean adults. Methods: This study included 16,535 adults aged ≥19 years who participated in the 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Hyperuricemia was defined as a serum uric acid level of ≥7.0 mg/dL in men and ≥6.0 mg/dL in women. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of hyperuricemia according to sitting time were calculated using a multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: The mean serum uric acid levels were significantly higher in participants with sitting times of ≥5 hours/day than those with sitting times of <5 hours/day in total participants, males, and females. The proportion of hyperuricemia was also significantly higher in participants with sitting times of ≥5 hours/day than those with sitting times of <5 hours/day in the total participants and males. Before and after adjusting for confounding variables, sitting times of ≥5 hours/day were associated with increased odds of hyperuricemia as compared with sitting times of <5 hours/day in total participants. Conclusion Our findings suggest that longer sitting time is associated with risk of hyperuricemia, and sitting time is an independent factor for hyperuricemia in Korean adults.