A Longitudinal Analysis about the Effect of Air Pollution on Astigmatism for Children and Young Adults

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between air pollution and astigmatism, considering the detrimental effects of air pollution on respiratory, cardiovascular, and eye health. Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted with 127,709 individuals aged 4-27 years from 9 cities in Guangdong Province, China, spanning from 2019 to 2021. Astigmatism was measured using cylinder values. Multiple measurements were taken at intervals of at least 1 year. Various exposure windows were used to assess the lagged impacts of air pollution on astigmatism. A panel data model with random effects was constructed to analyze the relationship between pollutant exposure and astigmatism. Results: The study revealed significant associations between astigmatism and exposure to carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM2.5) over time. A 10 {\mu}g/m3 increase in a 3-year exposure window of NO2 and PM2.5 was associated with a decrease in cylinder value of -0.045 diopters and -0.017 diopters, respectively. A 0.1 mg/m3 increase in CO concentration within a 2-year exposure window correlated with a decrease in cylinder value of -0.009 diopters. No significant relationships were found between PM10 exposure and astigmatism. Conclusion: This study concluded that greater exposure to NO2 and PM2.5 over longer periods aggravates astigmatism. The negative effect of CO on astigmatism peaks in the exposure window of 2 years prior to examination and diminishes afterward. No significant association was found between PM10 exposure and astigmatism, suggesting that gaseous and smaller particulate pollutants have easier access to human eyes, causing heterogeneous morphological changes to the eyeball

Serum Starvation Induced Cell Cycle Synchronization Facilitates Human Somatic Cells Reprogramming

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provide a valuable model for regenerative medicine and human disease research. To date, however, the reprogramming efficiency of human adult cells is still low. Recent studies have revealed that cell cycle is a key parameter driving epigenetic reprogramming to pluripotency. As is well known, retroviruses such as the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) require cell division to integrate into the host genome and replicate, whereas the target primary cells for reprogramming are a mixture of several cell types with different cell cycle rhythms. Whether cell cycle synchronization has potential effect on retrovirus induced reprogramming has not been detailed. In this study, utilizing transient serum starvation induced synchronization, we demonstrated that starvation generated a reversible cell cycle arrest and synchronously progressed through G2/M phase after release, substantially improving retroviral infection efficiency. Interestingly, synchronized human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) and adipose stem cells (ASC) exhibited more homogenous epithelial morphology than normal FBS control after infection, and the expression of epithelial markers such as E-cadherin and Epcam were strongly activated. Futhermore, synchronization treatment ultimately improved Nanog positive clones, achieved a 15–20 fold increase. These results suggested that cell cycle synchronization promotes the mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) and facilitates retrovirus mediated reprogramming. Our study, utilization of serum starvation rather than additional chemicals, provide a new insight into cell cycle regulation and induced reprogramming of human cells

Dry Eye Disease in Patients with Functioning Filtering Blebs after Trabeculectomy.

The aim of this study was to analyze dry eye disease (DED) in patients with functioning filtering blebs and to explore the relationship between the morphology of filtering blebs and ocular surface instability.This was a cross-sectional, case-comparison study. Seventy glaucomatous patients (70 eyes) with functioning blebs who had undergone trabeculectomy more than 6 months prior (study group) and 35 control subjects (35 eyes) (control group) were included. All subjects completed an ocular symptom questionnaire that referred to the Shihpai Eye Study. Evaluation of meibomian gland obstruction, a tear film break-up time test (TFBUT), fluorescein corneal staining and a Schirmer's tear test were then performed. Filtering bleb morphology was analyzed using Wuerzburg bleb classification scoring criteria in the study group. The presence of DED was defined as the concomitant presence of TFBUT <10 seconds and the presence of superficial punctate keratitis.The patients with functioning blebs presented higher corneal staining scores (P = 0.012) and lower TFBUT values (P = 0.043) than the control group. DED was present in 28/70 patients in the study group and 6/35 patients in the control group (P = 0.018). More patients in the study group complained of dryness (P = 0.001), a gritty or sandy sensation (P < 0.001) and redness (P = 0.048). In the study group, the patients with DED were significantly different from the patients without DED in both TFBUT (P < 0.001) and corneal staining (P < 0.001). More patients in the DED group were likely to report dryness (P = 0.013) and watery or teary eyes (P = 0.012). The differences in meibomian gland obstruction scores between the study and the control group, the DED and the non-DED group were not significant (P = 0.105 and P = 0.077, respectively). The values for microcysts and bleb heights were significantly higher in the DED group (P = 0.040 and P = 0.011, respectively). A Spearman's rank correlation showed that microcysts were positively correlated with corneal staining (r = 0.270, P = 0.024). Bleb height was negatively correlated with TFBUT (r = -0.299, P = 0.012) and positively correlated with corneal staining (r = 0.275, P = 0.021). The relationships between DED and microcysts and between DED and bleb height were significant (r = 0.247, P = 0.039 and r = 0.307, P = 0.010, respectively).DED is relatively common in patients with functioning filtering blebs following trabeculectomy. In DED patients, dryness and watery are common symptoms. Microcysts and bleb height are related to ocular surface instability and DED

Dry Eye Disease in Patients with Functioning Filtering Blebs after Trabeculectomy.

The aim of this study was to analyze dry eye disease (DED) in patients with functioning filtering blebs and to explore the relationship between the morphology of filtering blebs and ocular surface instability.This was a cross-sectional, case-comparison study. Seventy glaucomatous patients (70 eyes) with functioning blebs who had undergone trabeculectomy more than 6 months prior (study group) and 35 control subjects (35 eyes) (control group) were included. All subjects completed an ocular symptom questionnaire that referred to the Shihpai Eye Study. Evaluation of meibomian gland obstruction, a tear film break-up time test (TFBUT), fluorescein corneal staining and a Schirmer's tear test were then performed. Filtering bleb morphology was analyzed using Wuerzburg bleb classification scoring criteria in the study group. The presence of DED was defined as the concomitant presence of TFBUT <10 seconds and the presence of superficial punctate keratitis.The patients with functioning blebs presented higher corneal staining scores (P = 0.012) and lower TFBUT values (P = 0.043) than the control group. DED was present in 28/70 patients in the study group and 6/35 patients in the control group (P = 0.018). More patients in the study group complained of dryness (P = 0.001), a gritty or sandy sensation (P < 0.001) and redness (P = 0.048). In the study group, the patients with DED were significantly different from the patients without DED in both TFBUT (P < 0.001) and corneal staining (P < 0.001). More patients in the DED group were likely to report dryness (P = 0.013) and watery or teary eyes (P = 0.012). The differences in meibomian gland obstruction scores between the study and the control group, the DED and the non-DED group were not significant (P = 0.105 and P = 0.077, respectively). The values for microcysts and bleb heights were significantly higher in the DED group (P = 0.040 and P = 0.011, respectively). A Spearman's rank correlation showed that microcysts were positively correlated with corneal staining (r = 0.270, P = 0.024). Bleb height was negatively correlated with TFBUT (r = -0.299, P = 0.012) and positively correlated with corneal staining (r = 0.275, P = 0.021). The relationships between DED and microcysts and between DED and bleb height were significant (r = 0.247, P = 0.039 and r = 0.307, P = 0.010, respectively).DED is relatively common in patients with functioning filtering blebs following trabeculectomy. In DED patients, dryness and watery are common symptoms. Microcysts and bleb height are related to ocular surface instability and DED

Inhibition of Akt dephosphorylation is implicated in rapamycin-mediated neuroprotection in primary RGCs and the COH.

<p>Akt phosphorylation at sites Thr308 (A) and Ser473 (B) in primary RGCs was determined by western blotting. (C): The cell viability of primary RGCs was measured by MTT assay. (D): Akt phosphorylation at Thr308 in retinas was measured by western blotting. Values are presented as the mean ± SEM of 3 replicates, and experiments were repeated at least 2 times with similar results. **<i>p</i><0.01. Abbreviations: GLUT, glutamate; RAPA, rapamycin; Akti-1/2, an Akt inhibitor.</p

Rapamycin inhibited apoptosis in glutamate-injured primary RGCs.

<p>(A): Representative images of Thy-1 immunostaining (green) in primary RGCs. (B): The cell viability of primary RGCs was measured by MTT assay. (C, D): The numbers of PI⁺Annexin⁺ cells, indicating apoptosis, were detected by flow cytometry. Values are presented as the mean ± SEM of 3 replicates, and experiments were repeated at least 2 times with similar results. **<i>p</i><0.01. Abbreviations: GLUT, glutamate; RAPA, rapamycin; PI, propidium iodide.</p