Objective To evaluate the expressive varieties of Nogo-A mRNA in injured optic nerves of rats. Methods Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was used to hemi-quantitatively analyze the levels of Nogo-A mRNA in the optic nerves 3, 7, 9, 15, 21, and 25 days respectively after injury.Results The level of the expression of Nogo-A mRNA was low in the normal optic nerves, while it was significantly high in the optic nerves 3 days after in jury, and kept the high level still after 25 days.Conclusion The expression of Nogo-A mRNA in injured optic nerves is increased. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis,2003,19:201-268)
Objective To investigate the mRNA expression of ciliary neurotrophic factor on the retina during injury and repair of optic nerves in rats. Methods Thirty-five healthy SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: 5 in the control group, 15 in the simply transected optic nerve group and 15 in the optic nerve-sciatic nerve anastomosis group. The simply transected and optic nerve-sciatic nerve anastomosed models were set up, and the retinal tissues of all of the rats were taken out after 3, 7 and 14 days, respectively; and the mRNA expression of CNTF in the 3 groups were observed by semiquantitative reversal transcription-polymerase chain reaction method. Results A minimum expression of CNTF mRNA was found in the retinae of the control group, and the increased rates of expression were found in the retinae of the simple transection of optic nerve group with the increase rate of 100%, 594%, and 485% on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th day respectively after the operation, while in optic nerve-sciatic nerve anastomosis group, the increase rates were found to be 258%, 752% and 515% on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th day respectively after the operation. Conclusion Retinal neurons can respond to axonal reaction of retinal ganglion cells by up-regulate endogenous CNTF after the injury of the optic nerves, which may provide a theoretic base for the application of the exogenous CNTF. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis,2004,20:355-357)
Purpose To evaluate differences in the pattern of optic disc and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) damage in normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) and high-tension glaucoma (HTG) patients. Methods We enrolled 49 eyes of 49 patients:30 NTG (IOP≤21 mm Hg,1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa), 19 HTG(IOP≥25 mm Hg). Mean age was 59.2±12.3 (range, 36-75) for HTG patients, and 59.6±8.6(range, 39-71) for NTG patients. All patients underwent complete ophthalmic examination, achromatic automated perimetry (AAP), scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO), scanning laser polarimetry (SLP), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Heidelberg retinal tomography (HRT). All patients had glaucomatous optic nerve damage and abnormal AAP. Results There were no differences in mean deviation on AAP between NTG and HTG eyes (P=0.37), while the corrected pattern standard deviation was larger in NTG than in HTG eyes (P=0.014). Cup∶disc area ratios in global (P=0.03) and three sectors (Plt;0.05) except nasal sector were significantly larger in the NTG group, whereas rim area in global (P=0.03) and three sectors (Plt;0.05) except nasal quadrant obtained by SLO were smaller in NTG than in HTG eyes. The other numerical parameters obtained by three imaging technologies could not detect differences in the optic disc or RNFL anatomy between the two groups. Conclusions Cup∶disc area ratio was larger in patients with NTG than in those with HTG, whereas significant thinning of rim was associated with NTG eyes. The measurement of retinal nerve layer thickness in global and each quadrant was similar between two groups. More focal or segmental analysis of the data contained within SLO, SLP and OCT images are needed to detect localized differences in eyes with varying levels of IOP. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2002, 18: 109-112)
Objective To evaluate the influence of the location of retinal vessel trunk on neuroretinal rim width of inferior and superior sectors of optic disc, and explore its role in the diagnosis of glaucomatous optic nerve lesion. Methods The photographs of ocular fundus from 459 patients with clear location of retinal vessel trunk, including large disc in 131, medium disc in 145, horizontally oval disc in 75, and small disc in 108 were evaluated. Independent-sample t test was used to compare the difference of the superior and inferior rim widths between the higher-vessel group and the lower-vessel group, and to compare the difference of superior and inferior vessel distances between the narrow-superior-rim-width group and the narrow inferior-rim-width group. Results In most of the patients, or the ones with large and small disc, the ratio of superior rim width to summation of superior and inferior rim widths in the higher-vessel group(0.467plusmn;0.051,0.445plusmn;0.040,0.508plusmn;0.056)were less than which in the lowervessel group(0.500plusmn;0.066,0.474plusmn;0.062,0.546plusmn;0.048), and the differences were significant(P=0.000, 0.045, 0.018); the ratio of superior vessel distance to summation of superior and inferior vessel distance in the narrow-superior-rim-width group(0.510plusmn;0.051,0.508plusmn;0.055,0.512plusmn;0.036)were less than which in the narrow-inferior-rim-width group(0.528plusmn;0.045,0.533plusmn;0.048,0.534plusmn;0.045), and the differences were significant(P=0.000, 0.046, 0.022). Conclusions The position of optic disc vessel trunk influences its superior and inferior rim width. The rim closer to vessel trunk position has narrower width than which comparatively far away from the position. In patients with large, medium, horizontally oval optic disc, glaucoma optic nerve lesion would be considered if the optic disc has the shape of narrower inferior rim, broader superior rim, and vessel location in the superior half of the disc. In the ones with small disc, the optic disc with the shape of narrower superior rim, broader inferior rim, and vessel location in the inferior half of the disc may suggest glaucoma optic nerve lesion. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2007, 23: 118-121)
Objective To observe the content of thromboxane (TXA2 ) and prostacyclin (PGI2) in optic nerves after forehead impact injury.Methods The right forehead zones of 32 rabbits were struck by biology impact machine. Tweenty-four rabbits that had afferent papillary defect after injury were chosen, and randomly divided into four groups: 1 day, 2, 4, and 7 days group. Right eyes were in the experimental group and left eyes were in the control group. Flash visual evoked potentials were examined before and after the traumatic injury. The rabbits ′eyes were removed, the optic nerves were pathologically examined, and the content of TXB2 and 6-Keto-PGF1αwhich were the products of TXA2 and PGI2 were assayed 1, 2, 4, and 7 days after traumatic injury respectively.Results Histopath ological examination revealed the findings of injuries of optic nerves of all the 24 rabbits. The latency of wave P1 was significantly delayed after traum atic injury (Plt;0.01), and amplitude of wave P1 was significantly decreased after traumatic injury (Plt;0.01). The content of TXB2 [(172.35±26.52) pg/mg ]and 6-Keto-PGF1α[(161.78±24.83) pg/mg]were significantly higher in the injured optic nerves than in the uninjured ones 1 day after the traumatic injury (Plt;0.01). The rate of TXB2 /6-Keto-PGF1α (1.077±0.18) was significantly increased compared to the control group (Plt;0.05), and lasted to the 7th day.Conclusions The content of TXA2 and PGI2 significantly increases and the ratio of them is lopsided after forehead impact injury in rabbits. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis,2003,19:49-51)
ObjectiveTo investigate the gene expression spectrum of retina and optic nerve after partial injury of optic nerve.MethodsSixty SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups. The optic nerves of the right eyes were clipped for 6 seconds with a pair of crossaction forceps. The retinae and optic nerves in the operation eye and contralateral sham operation eye were removed 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after the injury to detect gene expression patterns with high-density DNA microarrays.ResultsChanges of a mass of gene expressions were found after the optic nerve injury, and the positive rate of gene expression was 2.35%, 6.48%, 3.82% and 4.09% after 3, 7, 14, 21 days, respectively, and the total positive rate was 11.77%. The functions of positive expression of the gene involved cell survival, cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix and cell adhesion, free radicals and oxidative damage, energy and metabolism, inflammation, neurotransmission and ion transport, signal transduction, structural protein, transcription and translation. Up-or down-regulation of repaired genes was the main part of the changes of gene expression, while the alteredexpression destroy genes was the minor part in the whole gene expression spectrum, in which the up- and down-regulation of expression of repaired genes accounted for 13.98% and 24.73% respectively 7 days after the injury, and the downregulation of expression of repaired genes accounted for 17.20% 14 days after the injury.ConclusionsA mass of gene expression changes occurs after the optic nerve injury, and the comprehensive view on the gene expression pattern following the optic nerve injury is crucial to discover the mechanism of post-injury reaction and regeneration.(Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2005,21:163-166)