Cognitive Enhancement For Visual Field Testing (.pdf)

Abnormal Humphrey Visual Field (HVF) testing in healthy adults can be the result of decreased mental alertness and vigilance, even with normal reliability indices. Methylphenidate is a stimulant intended for the treatment of Attention deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) which is also used for cognitive enhancement. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of methylphenidate on HVF testing in normal adults without ADHD

The Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor AN7, Attenuates Choroidal Neovascularization in a Mouse Model

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a complication of age-related macular degeneration and a major contributing factor to vision loss. In this paper, we show that in a mouse model of laser-induced CNV, systemic administration of Butyroyloxymethyl-diethyl phosphate (AN7), a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), significantly reduced CNV area and vascular leakage, as measured by choroidal flatmounts and fluorescein angiography. CNV area reduction by systemic AN7 treatment was similar to that achieved by intravitreal bevacizumab treatment. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2), and the endothelial cells marker CD31, was lower in the AN7 treated group in comparison to the control group at the laser lesion site. In vitro, AN7 facilitated retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cells tight junctions’ integrity during hypoxia, by protecting the hexagonal pattern of ZO-1 protein in the cell borders, hence reducing RPE permeability. In conclusion, systemic AN7 should be further investigated as a possible effective treatment for CNV

Correlation between Interleukin-6 and Thrombin–Antithrombin III Complex Levels in Retinal Diseases

<p><i>Purpose</i>: This study aims to evaluate and correlate the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and thrombin–antithrombin III complex (TAT) in the vitreous of patients with different vitreoretinal pathologies.</p> <p><i>Methods</i>: Vitreous samples were collected from 78 patients scheduled for pars plana vitrectomy at a tertiary medical center. Patients were divided by the underlying vitreoretinal pathophysiology, as follows: macular hole (MH)/epiretinal membrane (ERM) (<i>n</i> = 26); rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) (<i>n</i> = 32); and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) (<i>n</i> = 20). Levels of IL-6 and TAT were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared among the groups.</p> <p><i>Results</i>: A significant difference was found in the vitreal IL-6 and TAT levels between the MH/ERM group and both the PDR and RRD groups (<i>P</i> < 0.001 for all). Diabetes was associated with higher IL-6 levels in the RRD group. Different relationships between the IL-6 and TAT levels were revealed in patients with different ocular pathologies.</p> <p><i>Conclusion</i>: Our results imply that variations in vitreal TAT level may be attributable not only to an inflammatory reaction or blood–retinal barrier breakdown, but also to intraocular tissue-dependent regulation of thrombin.</p