Intraocular pressure effect of intravitreal conbercept injection for retinopathy of prematurity

Purpose: Intravitreal injection of conbercept (IVC) is a novel anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This study aimed to assess the intraocular pressure (IOP) effect of IVC.Methods: All IVC surgeries were performed in the Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, from January 2021 to May 2021. In this study, 30 eyes of 15 infants who received intravitreal injections of conbercept at a dose of 0.25 mg/0.025 mL were included. The IOP of all participants was measured prior to administering the injection and subsequently at 2 min, 1 h, 1 day, and 1 week thereafter.Results: We included 30 eyes (10 boys and 5 girls) with ROP. For the male group, the mean birth weight, mean gestational age at birth, and the mean time of postmenstrual age (PMA) at IVC treatment were 1,174.0 ± 446.0 g, 28.4 ± 3.0 weeks, and 37.1 ± 1.6 weeks, respectively; for the female group, they were 1,108 ± 285.5 g, 28.2 ± 2.5 weeks, and 36.8 ± 2.1 weeks, respectively. For the male group, the IOP at baseline, 2 min, 1 h, 1 day, and 1 week after IVC were 12.4 ± 1.5 mmHg, 49.0 ± 3.1 mmHg, 26.3 ± 2.5 mmHg, 13.4 ± 2.2 mmHg, and 11.6 ± 1.7 mmHg, respectively; for the female group, they were 10.7 ± 2.0 mmHg, 47.3 ± 3.2 mmHg, 26.4 ± 3.2 mmHg, 10.7 ± 1.8 mmHg, and 10.2 ± 1.8 mmHg, respectively. In both groups, the IOP immediately (2 min) after the operation was significantly higher than that at any other time point (p < 0.01). IOP values returned to the preoperative baseline level on the first day after surgery, with no significant difference compared with that before injection (p > 0.05). IOP continued to be maintained at the preoperative baseline level on the first week after surgery, with no significant difference compared with that before surgery (p > 0.05).Conclusion: Infants with ROP who received IVC experienced a sharp increase in the IOP immediately after injection, which decreased to below 30 mmHg after 1 h and maintain that level for 1 week or longer

The Genomes of Oryza sativa: A History of Duplications

We report improved whole-genome shotgun sequences for the genomes of indica and japonica rice, both with multimegabase contiguity, or almost 1,000-fold improvement over the drafts of 2002. Tested against a nonredundant collection of 19,079 full-length cDNAs, 97.7% of the genes are aligned, without fragmentation, to the mapped super-scaffolds of one or the other genome. We introduce a gene identification procedure for plants that does not rely on similarity to known genes to remove erroneous predictions resulting from transposable elements. Using the available EST data to adjust for residual errors in the predictions, the estimated gene count is at least 38,000–40,000. Only 2%–3% of the genes are unique to any one subspecies, comparable to the amount of sequence that might still be missing. Despite this lack of variation in gene content, there is enormous variation in the intergenic regions. At least a quarter of the two sequences could not be aligned, and where they could be aligned, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rates varied from as little as 3.0 SNP/kb in the coding regions to 27.6 SNP/kb in the transposable elements. A more inclusive new approach for analyzing duplication history is introduced here. It reveals an ancient whole-genome duplication, a recent segmental duplication on Chromosomes 11 and 12, and massive ongoing individual gene duplications. We find 18 distinct pairs of duplicated segments that cover 65.7% of the genome; 17 of these pairs date back to a common time before the divergence of the grasses. More important, ongoing individual gene duplications provide a never-ending source of raw material for gene genesis and are major contributors to the differences between members of the grass family

Cyclic ADP-ribose mediates nitric oxide-guanosine 3’,5’-cyclic monophosphate-induced isoflavone accumulation in soybean sprouts under UV-B radiation

In this study, in order to investigate the role of cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) in nitric oxide-guanosine 3’,5’-cyclic monophosphate (NO-cGMP)-induced isoflavone accumulation in soybean sprouts under UV-B radiation, the sprouts were treated with donors and inhibitors of NO and cGMP as well as cADPR inhibitor. Results showed that NO, with cGMP as a second messenger, activated ADP-ribosyl cyclase (ADPRC), leading to cADPR accumulation under UV-B radiation. cADPR inhibitor suppressed UV-B radiation-induced isoflavone synthesis, the activity, gene and protein expression of chalcone synthase (CHS) and isoflavone synthase (IFS), while this inhibition could be reversed by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and 8-Br-cGMP. This suggested that cADPR induced by the NO-cGMP pathway was involved in isoflavone synthesis by elevating the activity, gene and protein expression of chalcone synthase (CHS) and isoflavone synthase (IFS). Overall, cADPR mediates NO-cGMP-induced isoflavone accumulation in soybean sprouts under UV-B stress.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Mitogen-activated protein kinase mediates nitric oxide-induced isoflavone accumulation in soybean sprouts under UV-B radiation

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are critical components of signal transduction pathways. However, little is known about whether MAPK is involved in phenylpropanoid pathway under UV-B radiation. In this study, we investigated the role of MAPK in mediating nitric oxide (NO)-induced isoflavone accumulation in soybean sprouts under UV-B radiation. UV-B-triggered NO stimulated gene and protein expression of MAPK. Furthermore, U0126 (1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis(o-aminophenylmercapto) butadiene) (MAPKK inhibitor) hindered UV-B-induced isoflavone accumulation, genes and proteins expression of enzymes involving in isoflavone biosynthesis (chalcone synthase, CHS; isoflavone synthase, IFS). The attenuation was reversed by exogenous NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP). SNP treatment used alone could also enhance isoflavone synthesis, gene and protein expression of CHS and IFS. Overall, MAPK mediates NO-induced isoflavone accumulation in soybean sprouts under UV-B radiation.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

IP3 Mediates Nitric Oxide–Guanosine 3′,5′-Cyclic Monophosphate (NO-cGMP)-Induced Isoflavone Accumulation in Soybean Sprouts under UV‑B Radiation

In this study, to investigate the role of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) in nitric oxide–guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (NO-cGMP)-induced isoflavone accumulation in soybean sprouts under UV-B radiation, the sprouts were treated with donors and inhibitors of NO and cGMP as well as IP3 inhibitor. Results showed that NO, with cGMP as a second messenger, stimulates IP3 accumulation under UV-B radiation. Consistent with the increase in IP3 content, the up-regulation of gene and protein expression of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) in response to sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (exogenous NO donor) and 8-Br-cGMP (cGMP analogue) was also observed. In addition, protein kinase G (PKG) participated in NO-cGMP-induced IP3 production. IP3 induced by the NO-cGMP pathway was involved in isoflavone synthesis by elevating the activity and gene and protein expressions of chalcone synthase (CHS) and isoflavone synthase (IFS). Overall, IP3 mediates NO-cGMP-induced isoflavone accumulation in soybean sprouts under UV-B stress