Bestrophin-1 (Best1) is a calcium-activated anion channel identified from retinal pigment epithelium where human mutations are associated with Best's macular degeneration. Best1 is known to be expressed in a variety of tissues including the brain, and is thought to be involved in many physiological processes. This review focuses on the current state of knowledge on aspects of expression and function of Best1 in the brain. Best1 protein is observed in cortical and hippocampal astrocytes, in cerebellar Bergmann glia and lamellar astrocytes, in thalamic reticular neurons, in meninges and in the epithelial cells of the choroid plexus. The most prominent feature of Best1 is its significant permeability to glutamate and GABA in addition to chloride ions because glutamate and GABA are important transmitters in the brain. Under physiological conditions, both Best1-mediated glutamate release and tonic GABA release from astrocytes modulate neuronal excitability, synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. Under pathological conditions such as neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, reactive astrocytes phenotypically switch from GABA-negative to GABA-producing and redistribute Best1 from the perisynaptic microdomains to the soma and processes to tonically release GABA via Best1. This implicates that tonic GABA release from reactive astrocyte via redistributed Best1 is a common phenomenon that occur in various pathological conditions with astrogliosis such as traumatic brain injury, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and hypoxic and ischemic insults. These properties of Best1, including the permeation and release of glutamate and GABA and its redistribution in reactive astrocytes, promise us exciting discoveries of novel brain functions to be uncovered in the future.
Astrocytes ; Brain Injuries ; Brain* ; Carisoprodol ; Choroid Plexus ; Epithelial Cells ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; Glutamic Acid ; Humans ; Ions ; Macular Degeneration ; Meninges ; Neuroglia ; Neuronal Plasticity ; Neurons ; Permeability ; Physiological Processes ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Synaptic Transmission

In this study, expressions of aquaporin (AQP) 1, AQP4, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and vascular endothelial growth factor in blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier and blood-brain barrier (BBB) are examined in rat choroid plexus and peri-infarcted hippocampal formation (HF) following systemic hyponatremia (SH) and permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). These events are thought to cause the development of hydrocephalic and vasogenic edemas. The importance of CSF overproduction and intact blood-CSF barrier during hydrocephalic edema formation is demonstrated by the high expression of AQP1 (329.86+/-10.2%, n=4 , P<0.01) and trapped plasma immunoglobulin G (IgG) in choroid plexus epithelium after 24 hours of SH. However, the increased eNOS expression in peri-infarcted HF (130+/-3%, n=4, P<0.01) and extravasation of plasma IgG into the extravascular compartment after 24 hours of pMCAO suggest that increased microvascular permeability, probably due to elevated levels of nitric oxide, leads to development of vasogenic brain edema via BBB breakdown. Based on these findings, the authors suggest that modulation of different protein expression, dependent on the type of brain edema, is required for primary (pMCAO) and secondary (SH) brain injuries to attenuate brain edema and neuronal degeneration.
Animals ; Aquaporin 1 ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; Brain Edema ; Brain Injuries ; Capillary Permeability ; Choroid Plexus ; Edema ; Epithelium ; Hippocampus ; Hyponatremia ; Immunoglobulin G ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Neurons ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Plasma ; Proteins ; Rats ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

PURPOSE: To evaluate the inhibitory effect of chlorogenic acid on laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in a rat model. METHODS: Intraperitoneal injection of chlorogenic acid (10 mg/kg) was inititated one day prior to laser photocoagulation and continued for eight days. Eyes were removed 14 days after laser photocoagulation. Fluorescein angiography was employed at seven and 14 days to assess the CNV lesions, and histological examination was performed. Quantification of CNV size and leakage were performed both in histological sections and fluorescein angiography in order to compare the inhibitory effects of chlorogenic acid on CNV with the results of the control. RESULTS: Histological analysis showed no significant difference in CNV size between the treated and control groups. However, CNV leakage on fluorescein angiography had significantly decreased in the chlorogenic acid-treated group at 14 days after laser photocoagulation compared with that of the control group. In addition, CNV size on fluorescein angiography had significantly decreased in the treated group at seven and 14 days. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that chlorogenic acid has anti-angiogenic effects on CNV and may be useful as an inhibitor in the treatment or prevention of neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
Angiogenesis Inhibitors/*administration & dosage ; Animals ; Capillary Permeability/drug effects ; Chlorogenic Acid/*administration & dosage ; Choroid/pathology ; Choroidal Neovascularization/diagnosis/etiology/*physiopathology ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Laser Coagulation ; Radiation Injuries ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred BN

Air-bags have received widespread support as an effective means of enhancing automotive safety, and they are becoming more common as standard automobile equipment on many cars. Although air-bag induced ocular injuries are rare, they present a serious concern because of the possibility of permanent damage or visual impairment. To date, most reports have investigated ocular injury from high velocity motor vehicle accidents and reports of ocular injury from low speed motor vehicle accidents have been rare. We describe a patient who sustained severe ocular injury, including periorbital fracture, hyphema, vitreous hemorrhage, and choroidal rupture of the macular area, due to an inflated air-bag in a low speed motor vehicle accident.
Accidents, Traffic ; Adult ; Air Bags/*adverse effects ; Choroid/*injuries ; Eye Injuries/*etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hyphema/*etiology ; Orbital Fractures/*etiology/radiography ; Rupture ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vitreous Hemorrhage/*etiology/ultrasonography

Nerve regeneration in the central nervous system has been studied by grafting various tissues and cells. Choroid plexus epithelial cells represent a continuation of ventricular ependymal cells and have the same origin as regarded as modified ependymal cells. To study the use of choroid plexus ependymal cell grafting for nerve regeneration in the spinal cord, the choroid plexus was excised from the lateral and fourth ventricles of adult Sprague-Dawley rats, minced into small fragments, and grafted at the T9 level in adult rat spinal cord transected or contused. In this study, transplants of choroid plexus ependymal cells were successfully used to promote functional and structural recovery after spinal cord transection and contusion. The area of damaged spinal cord was diminished after choroid plexus ependymal cells transplantation. Nearly normal anterior horn cells were observed immediately distal to the transected region. Tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive descending fibers were observed in the distal region beyond transected area. These findings indicate that choroid plexus ependymal cells have the ability to facilitate axonal growth, suggesting that they may be a promising candidate as graft for the promotion of nerve regeneration in the spinal cord.
Adult ; Animals ; Anterior Horn Cells ; Axons ; Cell Transplantation* ; Central Nervous System ; Choroid Plexus ; Contusions ; Epithelial Cells ; Fourth Ventricle ; Humans ; Nerve Regeneration* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Transplants* ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase

PURPOSE: The authors report a case of optic nerve evulsion with literature review. METHOD: 15-year-old boy, who had optic nerve evulsion by tear of inferior rectus and medial rectus muscles, and hypotony by retinal and choroidal detachment RESULTS: we could preserve the eyeball with normal pressure by pars plana vitrectomy, endolaser photocoagulation and silicone oil injection
Adolescent ; Choroid ; Humans ; Light Coagulation ; Male ; Muscles ; Optic Nerve Injuries ; Optic Nerve* ; Retinaldehyde ; Silicone Oils ; Vitrectomy

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression of several organs on the lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-injected rats and on excisional wound was observed by immunohistochemical methods to investigate iNOS-positive cells during inflammation. iNOS expression was induced in response to LPS in the brain and these reactions were observed in the choroidal epithelium, ependymal cells and a few of nerve cells and fiber. A more intensive reaction of nerve cell and fiber was mainly observed in the corpus callosum and hypothalamus. Induction of iNOS of the lung was observed in alveolar macrophage, smooth muscle, pneumocytes and inflammatory cells infilterated in the alveolar septum. iNOS expression of the liver was detected in Kupffer cells, hepatocytes, bile duct and inflammatory cells of spotty necrosis. The cardiac muscle and endothelial cell of the heart showed positive iNOS expression. In the excisional wound, inflammatory cells including macrophages, neutrophil and fibrobast showed iNOS expression and mainly detected necrobiotic layer. Collectively, iNOS expression was induced in the several cell types during inflammatory process. So for better understanding the function of iNOS, more research should be done in relation to each cell type of organ.
Animals ; Bile Ducts ; Brain ; Choroid ; Corpus Callosum ; Endothelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Heart ; Hepatocytes ; Hypothalamus ; Inflammation ; Kupffer Cells ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Liver ; Lung ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Alveolar ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myocardium ; Necrosis ; Neurons ; Neutrophils ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II* ; Pneumocytes ; Rats* ; Shock* ; Wound Healing* ; Wounds and Injuries*

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of clinical factors on the development of postoperative hypotony, and also to determine whether the occurrence of hypotony has any effect on the outcome of trabeculectomy with intraoperative mitomycin C. The authors retrospectively reviewed the outcome in 160 eyes of 112 patients who underwent tight scleral flap trabeculectomy with releasable sutures. Mitomycin C with 0.25 or 0.5mg/ml was applied for 3 or 5 minutes between the Tenon's capsule and the sclera. The mean follow-up period was 16.5 +/- 11.5 months. Success of the trabeculectomy was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) 6-21 mmHg with or without medications. Hypotony(IOP Anterior Chamber ; Cataract ; Choroid ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intraocular Pressure ; Mitomycin* ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Sclera ; Sutures ; Tenon Capsule ; Trabeculectomy* ; Wounds and Injuries

Mitomycin C (MMC) is an antimetabolite, antibiotic which prevents the proliferation of fibroblast and fibrosis by inhibition of DNA-dependent RNA synthesis. It has been used to increase the success rate of filtering surgery. We performed trabeculectomy and peripheral iridectomy with 0.4 mg/ml MMC application for 3 minutes in poor prognostic glaucoma patient, 26 eyes of 24 patients from February 1992 to December 1994. The postoperative change of intraocular pressure (IOP) and complications were followed up from 3 to 30 months (mean 12.4 months). The preoperative and postoperative mean IOP after 24 months were 32.3 +/- 11.4 mmHg and 12.7 +/- 3.1 mmHg, respectively. The decrease rate of IOP was 60.7% and the success rate was 71.7%. The postoperative complications were 15 eyes including 5 eyes of shallow anterior chamber, 5 eyes of hyphema, 2 eyes of conjunctival wound leakage, one eye of bleb rupture, one eye of choroidal detachment, and one eye of cataract formation.
Anterior Chamber ; Blister ; Cataract ; Choroid ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Filtering Surgery ; Glaucoma ; Humans ; Hyphema ; Intraocular Pressure ; Iridectomy ; Mitomycin* ; Postoperative Complications ; RNA ; Rupture ; Trabeculectomy* ; Wounds and Injuries

The use of intraoperative application of Mitomycin C at the filtration site has been known to improve the surgical outcome in glaucomatous eyes with high risk for failure of trabeculectomy. The author performed trabeculectomies with intraoperative Mitomycin C on 25 eyes of 20 patients with poor surgical prognosis to study the efficacy and safety of this technique in glaucomatous patients with high risk for failure of trabeculectomy. After the preparation of a scleral flap, 0.2mg/ml sulution of Mitomycin C was applied between Tenon's capsule and the sclera for 2 minutes. The exposed area was then irrigated with 200 ml of balanced salt solution. The follow-up period was from 1 to 7 months (mean 3.8 months). The mean preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) was 38.6±6.6mmHg. The mean final postoperative IOP was 11.7±3.8mmHg. Twenty three (88%) of the 25 eyes were successfully controlled with the IOP of less than or equal to 20 mmHg wthout glaucoma medication. There were early postoperative complications of hyphema in 5 eyes (20%), shallow anterior chamber in 4 eyes(16%), punctate keratopathy in 3 eyes (12%), aqueous leaking from conjunctival wound in 2 eyes (8%), encapsulated bled in 1 eye (4%) and choroidal detachment in 1 eye (4%), and 4 eyes had long term hypotony lasting more than 2 months. Although Mitomycin C is simple to use and effective adjunct to trabeculectomy, further study will be needed to determine the mechanism of action, indication, dosage and optimal exposure time of Mitomycin C.
Anterior Chamber ; Choroid ; Filtration ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma ; Humans ; Hyphema ; Intraocular Pressure ; Mitomycin* ; Postoperative Complications ; Prognosis ; Sclera ; Tenon Capsule ; Trabeculectomy* ; Wounds and Injuries