Gigantol is a phenolic component of precious Chinese medicine Dendrobii Caulis, which has many pharmacological activities such as prevent tumor and diabetic cataract. This paper aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of gigantol in transmembrane transport in human lens epithelial cells(HLECs). Immortalized HLECs were cultured in vitro and inoculated in the laser scanning confocal microscopy(LSCM) medium at 5 000 cells/mL. The fluorescence distribution and intensity of gigantol marked by fluorescence in HLECs were observed by LSCM, and the absorption and distribution of gigantol were expressed as fluorescence intensity. The transmembrane transport process of gigantol in HLECs were monitored. The effects of time, temperature, concentration, transport inhibitors, and different cell lines on the transmembrane absorption and transport of gigantol were compared. HLECs were inoculated on climbing plates of 6-well culture plates, and the ultrastructure of HLECs was detected by atomic force microscopy(AFM) during the transmembrane absorption of non-fluorescent labeled gigantol. The results showed that the transmembrane absorption of gigantol was in time and concentration-dependent manners, which was also able to specifically target HLECs. Energy and carrier transport inhibitors reduced gigantol absorption by HLECs. During transmembrane process of gigantol, the membrane surface of HLECs became rougher and presented different degrees of pits, indicating that the transmembrane transport of gigantol was achieved by active absorption of energy and carrier-mediated endocytosis.
Humans ; Lens, Crystalline/pathology* ; Cataract/prevention & control* ; Bibenzyls/pharmacology* ; Epithelial Cells ; Cells, Cultured ; Apoptosis

PURPOSE: To assess the reproducibility of circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (cpRNFL) thickness measurement (measurement agreement) and its color-coded classification (classification agreement) by Cirrus spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) in pseudophakic eyes. METHODS: Two-hundred five participants having glaucoma or glaucoma suspected eyes underwent two repeated Cirrus OCT scans to measure cpRNFL thickness (optic disc cube 200 x 200). After classifying participants into three different groups according to their lens status (clear media, cataract, and pseudophakic), values of intra-class coefficient (ICC), coefficient of variance, and test-retest variability were compared between groups for average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thicknesses and that corresponding to four quadrant maps. Linear weighted kappa coefficients were calculated as indicators of agreement of color code classification in each group. RESULTS: ICC values were all excellent (generally defined as 0.75 to 1.00) for the average and quadrant RNFL thicknesses in all three groups. ICC values of the clear media group tended to be higher than those in the cataract and pseudophakic groups for all quadrants and average thickness. Especially in the superior and nasal quadrants, the ICC value of the cataract group was significantly lower than that of the clear media and pseudophakic groups. For average RNFL thickness, classification agreement (kappa) in three groups did not show a statistically significant difference. For quadrant maps, classification agreement (kappa) in the clear media group was higher than those in the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Agreement of cpRNFL measurement and its color code classification between two repeated Cirrus OCT scans in pseudophakic eyes was as good as that in eyes with clear crystalline lens. More studies are required to ascertain the effect of lens status on the reproducibility of Cirrus OCT according to different stages of glaucoma patients.
Aged ; Cataract/complications ; Cataract Extraction ; Female ; Glaucoma/complications/*pathology ; Humans ; Lens, Crystalline/cytology/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nerve Fibers/pathology ; Optic Disk/pathology ; Pseudophakia/complications ; Reproducibility of Results ; Retinal Ganglion Cells/*pathology ; Tomography, Optical Coherence/*methods/*standards

PURPOSE: To investigate the long-term characteristics of cataracts among adults aged 30 to 49 years in Korean over a span of 10 years. METHODS: Subjects between the ages of 30 to 49 years who underwent cataract surgery at St. Mary's Hospital from 1995 to 2004 (n = 976) were included. Patients with a history of ocular trauma, uveitis, other ocular or systemic diseases, and congenital cataracts were excluded. Additional information including type of lens opacity, urban/rural region, and pre- and postoperative visual acuities were analyzed. Lens opacity grading was conducted using Lens Opacity Classification System III. The Cochran-Armitage proportion trend test was used to analyze vision changes with the passage of time. RESULTS: Among the patients who had undergone cataract surgeries, 8.8% (976 / 11,111) met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 41.7 +/- 5.45 years. Gender breakdown of the patient population included 79.0% male and 21.0% female. In terms of home environment, 60.9% were from an urban region and 39.1% from a rural region. Opacity type included anterior polar (AP), posterior subcapsular (PSC), AP and PSC, cortical, and nuclear in 35.7%, 35.1%, 7.0%, 6.0%, and 5.4% of patients, respectively. At a 2-month postoperative follow-up appointment, 92.7% of patients showed a best-corrected visual acuity of more than 20 / 40. CONCLUSIONS: Predominance of AP and PSC opacities as well as male patients was observed in this study population.
Adult ; Age Distribution ; Age Factors ; Cataract/*epidemiology/pathology ; *Cataract Extraction ; Female ; *Forecasting ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lens Capsule, Crystalline/*pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effects of the natural medicinal monomer isopsoralen (ISR) with estrogenic activity against oxidative damage in human lens epithelial cells B3 (HLE-B3) caused by hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and to pursue the possible mitochondrial proteomic regularity of the protective effects.

METHODSHLE-B3 cells were treated with H(2)O(2) (300 μ mol/L), β-estradiol (E(2): 10(-8) mol/L) and H(2)O(2), ISR (10(-5) mol/L) and H(2)O(2), or left untreated. Altered expressions of all mitochondrial proteins were analyzed by protein array and surfaceenhanced laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS). The mass/charge (m/z) ratios of each peak were tested by the Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test, and the protein peak value of the m/z ratio for each treatment by pair comparison was analyzed with the Nemenyi test.

RESULTSH(2)O(2) up-regulated the expressions of two protein spots (with m/z of 6532 and 6809). E(2) mitigated the oxidative damage, and the expression of one protein spot (m/z 6532) was down-regulated. In contrast, ISR down-regulated both of protein spots (m/z 6532 and 6809).

CONCLUSIONSISR could effectively inhibit H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative damage in HLE-B3 cells. The protein spot at m/z of 6532 might be the target spot of ISR against oxidative damage induced by H(2)O(2).

Cell Line ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Estradiol ; pharmacology ; Furocoumarins ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; toxicity ; Lens, Crystalline ; pathology ; Mitochondria ; metabolism ; Oxidation-Reduction ; drug effects ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Proteome ; metabolism ; Proteomics ; methods

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the aldose reductase inhibitory (ARI) activity of different fractions of Hybanthus enneaspermus for potential use in diabetic cataract.

METHODSTotal phenol and flavonoid content of different fractions was determined. ARI activity of different fractions in rat lens was investigated in vitro.

RESULTSThe results showed significant level of phenolic and flavonoid content in ethyl acetate fraction [total phenol (212.15±0.79 mg/g), total flavonoid (39.11±2.27 mg/g)] and aqueous fraction [total phenol (140.62±0.57 mg/g), total flavonoid (26.07±1.49 mg/g)] as compared with the chloroform fraction [total phenol (68.56±0.51 mg/g), total flavonoid (13.41±0.82 mg/g)] and petrolium ether fraction [total phenol (36.68±0.43 mg/g), total flavonoid (11.55±1.06 mg/g)]. There was a significant difference in the ARI activity of each fraction, and it was found to be the highest in ethyl acetate fraction [IC50 (49.26±1.76 µg/mL)] followed by aqueous extract [IC50 (70.83±2.82 µg/mL)] and it was least in the petroleum ether fraction [IC50 (118.89±0.71 µg/mL)]. Chloroform fraction showed moderate activity [IC50 (98.52±1.80 µg/mL)].

CONCLUSIONSDifferent fractions showed significanct amount of ARI activity, where in ethyl acetate fraction it was found to be maximum which may be due to its high phenolic and flavonoid content. The extract after further evaluation may be used in the treatment of diabetic cataract.

Aldehyde Reductase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Animals ; Cataract ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Diabetes Complications ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Diabetes Mellitus ; pathology ; Flavonoids ; analysis ; Lens, Crystalline ; enzymology ; Phenols ; analysis ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Violaceae ; metabolism

A 60-year-old male was referred to the ophthalmologic clinic with aggravated anterior uveitis and corneal edema despite the use of topical and systemic steroids. He had undergone cataract surgery in both eyes 15 years previous. Slit lamp examinations revealed a retained lens fragment in the inferior angle of the anterior chamber, with severe corneal edema and mild anterior uveitis. The corneal edema and uveitis subsided following surgical extraction of the lens fragment. That a retained lens fragment caused symptomatic anterior uveitis with corneal edema 15 years after an uneventful cataract surgery is unique. A retained lens fragment should be considered as one of the causes of anterior uveitis in a pseudophakic patient.
Cataract Extraction/*adverse effects ; Corneal Edema/*etiology/*pathology ; Humans ; Lens, Crystalline/*pathology/surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications/pathology/surgery ; Pseudophakia/pathology ; Reoperation ; Severity of Illness Index ; Uveitis, Anterior/*etiology/*pathology

Adolescent ; Adult ; Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Cadmium Compounds ; analysis ; Eye Diseases ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Lens, Crystalline ; pathology ; Oxides ; analysis ; Workplace ; Young Adult

Epalrestat is the unique aldose reductase inhibitor on the market, which was mainly used for the diabetic neuropathy. Lenses osmotic expansion could be induced by galactose to mimic the pathological process of diabetic cataract in vitro. In present study, we mainly investigated whether epalrestat possesses inhibitory effect on the lens osmotic expansion. The results indicated that epalrestat could not only markedly inhibit rat lens osmotic expansion in vitro, but also significantly reduced the high expression of the osmotic expansion-related genes such as AR and AQP1 in mRNA and protein levels. The findings may provide an important reference to epalrestat in the clinical application for the treatment of diabetic cataract.
Aldehyde Reductase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Animals ; Aquaporin 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cataract ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; complications ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Galactose ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Lens, Crystalline ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Osmosis ; drug effects ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rhodanine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Thiazolidines ; pharmacology

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of lens density on liquefaction time by using liquefaction device (AquaLase(R), Alcon Laboratories, TX, U.S.A.). METHODS: Cataract surgery using AquaLase(R) was performed on 47 eyes. With a Scheimpflug camera, the density and thickness of lens were measured in eye of each patient preoperatively. During surgery, liquefaction time and total number of pulses were recorded. The correlation of both density and thickness of lens with liquefaction time and total number of pulses was analyzed. RESULTS: The mean density of anterior cortex, nucleus, and posterior cortex was 112.45+/-42.1 computer compatible tapes (CCT), 76.5+/-22.7 CCT, and 70.9+/-52.2 CCT, respectively. The mean thickness was 0.97+/-0.30 mm, 2.76+/-0.54 mm, and 0.81+/-0.24 mm, respectively. The mean liquefaction time was 174.8+/-108.2 seconds. The mean total number of pulses was 4799+/-3007.There was no significant difference between the density of each area of lens (anterior cortex, nucleus, posterior cortex, and total lens) and liquefaction time (p>0.05), and between the thickness of each area of lens and liquefaction time (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between the density of each area of lens and total number of pulses (p>0.05), and between the thickness of each area of lens and total number of pulses (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: When extraction of soft to moderate density cataract was performed with AquaLase(R), liquefaction time and total number of pulse did not correlate to the density and thickness of lens.
Adult ; Aged ; Cataract/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Lens, Crystalline/*pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phacoemulsification/instrumentation/*methods ; Photography ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of low power microwave radiation on lens hydration and lens epithelial cells in vitro, and detect the expression of PKC-alpha, c-fos and c-jun in lens epithelial cells.

METHODSRabbit lens were exposed to microwave radiation with frequency of 2450 MHz and power density of 0.5, 2.0 and 5.0 mW/cm(2) in vitro. The hydration of lens was measured after 8 hours. Morphological changes of lens epithelial cells were observed using a phase-contrast microscope and Hoechst 33258 staining. Expression of PKC-alpha, c-fos and c-jun were analyzed using gel electrophoresis and western blot analysis.

RESULTSAfter 2.0 and 5.0 mW/cm(2) microwave radiation, the hydration of lens was increased compared to control groups (P<0.05), the shape of lens epithelial cells showed shrinking and disorder and cells nuclei appeared chromatin condensation. There was no change of lens and lens epithelial cells after 0.5 mW/cm(2) microwave radiation. The expression of PKC-alpha was significantly increased in cell membrane, however, decreased in cell cytoplasm after 2.0 mW/cm(2) microwave radiation for 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours. There was significantly increased expression of c-fos and c-jun protein compared with control groups (P<0.05, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONLow power microwave radiation higher than 2.0 mW/cm(2) can activate PKC-alpha by increasing its expression in cell membrane, then induce high expression of c-fos and c-jun, which may relate to cellular signaling pathway of microwave radiation injury to lens and lens epithelial cells.

Animals ; Epithelial Cells ; metabolism ; pathology ; radiation effects ; In Vitro Techniques ; Lens, Crystalline ; metabolism ; pathology ; radiation effects ; Protein Kinase C-alpha ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism