Purpose To investigate apoptosis in vitrectomy specimens of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Methods Vitrectomy specimens from 60 cases of different classes of proliferative vitreore tinopathy were studied by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labelling(TUNEL)method. Results The characteristic change of apoptosis was observed in all vitrectomy specimens.The amount of apoptotic non-pigmentary cell is gradually decreasing along with the development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy,and apoptotic pigmentary cells are observed. Conclusion There are different kinds of apoptosis cell in vitrectomy specimens of proliferative vitreoretinopathy.It is suggested that apoptosis might be one of the important mechanisms of regulating the degree in proliferative vitreoretinopathy. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis,1999,15:81-83)
Objctive To explore the relationship between the expression of Fas/FasL and the apoptosis occurs in retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury of rats , as well as the therapeutic effects of bFGF on the ischemic retina.Methods Th emodels of retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury was made by transient elevating introcular pressure. A total of 28 rats were divided into normal and operation group.The latter were subdivided into 1 hour, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after reperfusion group, in which the left eyes of the rats were in the ischemia/reper fusion groups and the right ones were in the treatment groups (bFGF intracameral injection). Apoptosis was assessed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labelling (TUNEL) method, and the expression of Fas and Fas ligand was studied by strept avidin-biotin complex （SABC）immunohistochemistry. Results No positive cells were observed in the normal rats′retinae, but there was a significant number of TUNEL positive cells in 6-24 hours after transient ischemia followed by a decrease at the 48th hour. The number of TUNEL positive cells reached a maximum at the 24th hour after ischemia. The expression of Fas gradually increased as early as when it was at the 6th hour, reached a peak at the 24th hour, and then decreased at the 48th hour. Similarly, the expression of Fas ligand was at peak in 24-48 hours in GCL and INL of retina. Conclusions Retinal ischemia-reperfusion after transient elevated IOP induced apoptosis of cells in the retina. Fas/FasL may play an important role in the early events of the apoptotic pathways. bFGF can rescue RGCs from retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury through downregulation of the expression of Fas/FasL and may represent an important mechanism for therapeutic neuroprotection. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis，2003，19：160-163)
Objective To demonstrate if apoptosis is one of the mechanisms of siderotic retinopathy. Methods Autoclaved iron particles were implanted in the vitreous cavities of 32 eyes of SD rats.Glass chips were implanted in 10 control eyes.The experimental eyes were enucleated at various time intervals from days 1 to 15.Retinal degeneration was examined using the TdT-mediated,dUTP-biotin nickend labeling(TUNEL)method.Electrophoresis on agarose gel was used to detect internucleosomal DNA fragmentation.Results TUNEL-positive nuclei were observed only in the outer nuclear layer beginning on day 2.The nuclei spread throughout the outer nuclear layer by the end of day 3.No TUNEL-positive nuclei were observed in other layers throughout the experimental perios.Analysis of DNA,extracted from the retinas by electrophoresis on agarose gel,revealed a typical ladder pattern of internucleosoma DNA cleavage in the experimental eyes.ConclusionApoptosis of photoreceptors occurs at the early phase of iron-induced retinopathy in the rats.
Objective To investigate the damage to the retinal cells and apoptosis of retinal cells of rats after ischemia-reperfusion insult. Methods The retinal ischemia-reperfusion model was developed by increasing intraocular pressure to 109725 mm Hg in rat eyes. Morphological changes of the rat eyes were observed by means of routine histopathology with HE staining. Apoptosis of the retina was assayed by both DNA fragmentation gel-electrophoresis and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL). Results Compared with the normal control, no histopathological changes were revealed in the rat retinas 30 min after the ischemia and then reperfued for 24 h or 48 h. Retinal ganglion cell layer (RGL) and inner plaxiform layer (IPL) of the retina were observed, however, to become significantly thinner 60 min after the ischemia and then reperfued for 24 h or 48 h. Together with the pathological changes DNA ladder pattern was detected in the same group of the rats. Further, immunochemical stain of the eye demonstrated that TUNEL positive cells were localized in RGL and IPL of the retina. Conclusion Ischemia-reperfusion insult of the eye may remarkably damage the retina of the rat eye. The damage to the retinal cells is mainly localized within RGL and IPL and apoptosis is the important mechanism of the retinal disorder. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2002, 18: 296-298)
Objective To investigate the role of anti apoptosis gene bcl-2 in the survival of cultured uveal melanoma UM cells. Methods Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODN) bcl-2 were delivered with cationic lipid to primary cultured UM cells. The inhibitory effect of AS-ODN bcl-2 on proliferation of UM cells was examined by 3,-4,5 Dimethyliazol-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Using DNA ladder to determine if the UM cells had been apoptotic. Bcl-2 expression was detected by RT-PCR and Westernblot technics. Results The effect of AS-ODN bcl-2 in inhibiting the proliferation of cultured UM cells had opposite relation to dosage. It down regulated the mRNA and protein level of bcl-2 gene, and the sense ODN didn′t have this effect. Conclusion AS-ODN bcl-2 can down regulate bcl-2 expression, inhibits UM cells proliferation and induces apoptosis. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2002, 18: 38-41)
Objective To investigate the influnce of L-arginine (L-Arg) and L-nitro-arginine-methyl-ester(L-NAME) to purified retinal ganglion cells(RGCs) apoptosis of rats cultured in different consistencies of L-Arg and L-NAME. Method RGCs from Sprague Dawley (SD) neonatal rats(postnatal 1~5 day) were cultured in assimilative culture solution in vitro and RGCs were purified by Thy1.1 with sheep anti rat FITC monoclonal antibody. RGCs were cultured in different consistencies of L-Arg and L-NAME: 1×10-6, 1×10-5,1×10-4, 1×10-3, 1×10-2 and 1×10-1 mol/L for 24 hours and 48 hours, respectively. The changes of bcl-2, bax and p53 mRNA in RGCs in different consistencies of L-Arg and L-NAME were demonstrated qualitatively and quantitatively by in situ hybridization, and their apoptosis were detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) method, respectively. Results After 24 hours in vitro, the purification rate of RGCs in the experiment arrived at 97 %. After 48 hours, there were a few apoptotic cells expression in the control group. Apoptotic cells expression in L-Arg≥1×10-3 mol/L and L-NAME≥1×10-1 mol/L groups increased that had a significant difference with the control group (Plt;0.05). In the group of L-Arg≥1×10-3 mol/L and L-NAME≥1×10-1 mol/L, the expression of bcl-2 mRNA in RGCs became weaker and weaker as the consistencies were increased, but the expression of bax and p53 mRNA in RGCs became higher and higher and had a significant difference with control group (Plt;0.05). Conclusion Lower concentration of L-Arg can promote the growth of purified RGCs in vitro and higher concentration of L-Arg can promote the apoptosis of RGCs. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2002, 18: 137-139)
Pyroptosis is a newly discovered form of cell death. Through the activation of inflammasome complexes, pyroptosis induces the production of interleukin (IL) -1β and IL-18, and the osmotic swelling of cells, thus induces cellular rupture and death. It plays a role in the pathological process of a variety of human diseases. The death of retinal cells including photoreceptor cells and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells is the main reason leading to visual dysfunction in the pathogenesis in ocular fundus diseases. Researches have demonstrated that pyroptosis is closely related to the onset and progression of various retinal diseases. In age-related macular degeneration, pyroptosis directly causes apoptosis of RPE cells and upregulation of pro-inflammatory factors, enhancing toxic effect of lipofuscin. For retinitis pigmentosa, pyroptosis is the leading manner of death of secondary cone photoreceptor cells. In cytomegalovirus retinitis, pyroptosis is the main responding way to infection. This review presented the molecular mechanism of pyroptosis and its role in age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa and cytomegalovirus retinitis and other retinal diseases.
Objective To investigate the correlation of ascorbic acid distribution and retinal susceptibility to iron toxicity of the retina.Methods Autoclaved iron particles of 5 mg and 15 mg were implanted into the vitreous cavities of 32 Spragu-Dawley (SD) rats and 9 rabbits, respectively. The retinal sections of rats and rabbits were examined after hemotoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Apoptos is of rabbits′retinal neurons was investigated by TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling (TUNEL). Chinoy′s method was used to observe the distribution of as corbic acid in the retinae of the 2 kinds of animals.Results In rats, histological and structural densification was observed only in the photoreceptor cells after implantation of the iron particles. In rabbits, however, histological and structural destruction as well as TUNEL-positive nuclei were observed in all neuronal layers of the retina 3 days after the implantation of the iron particles. Silver granules reduced by ascorbic acid from silver nitrate were observed only in the outer nuclear layer in normal rats retinae, while they were observed evenly throu ghout all layers of rabbits′retinae. Conclusions The suscept ibility of retina to iron toxicity is correlated to the distribution of ascorbic acid in retina. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis，2003，19：269-332)
Purpose To study the proteins expression of genes related to apoptosis of retinal cells in development of human fetus． Methods Fifty cases of retinas of human fetus aged from 12 to 38 we eks were collected and paraffin embedded sections were made． Immunohistochemical method was used． Results Fas protein was expressed by cells of ganglion cell layer, inner and outer nuclear later, which were just formed on 16th week． It was not expressed until 38th week, Fas(+) staining appeared in layers of retina． Fas-L(+) staining was detected in cells of layers of retina on 26th week and the positive staining located in ganglion cell layer on 32th week． Neuronal fiber layer was Fas-L positive． Bax positive staini ng was detected on 8th week． Bax positive nucleus were observed mainly in GCL and ONL on 16th week． It was in INL on 24th week and in Muuml;ller cells inner terminates on 26th week． After this time, all cells of retina were bax immune ne gative staining． Bcl-2(+) staining appeared in differentiating neuroblastic layer on 16th week． Beginning on 24th week, bcl-2 (+) staining was observed in glial cells of GCL and inner terminates of Muuml;ller cell． Conclusion Apoptosis of developing retinal cell may be Fas/Fas-L independent and bax may be involved in apoptosis of the cells． (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2001,17:55-57)
Objective To determine the effects of lensspecific overexpression of OSM on the eye development. Methods A truncated mouse OSM c DNA (661 bp) was linked to the αA-crystallin promoter. Transgenic mice were characterized by routine histological and immunohistochemical techiniques. TUNEL assays were used to de tect cell death. The mRNA expression of caspase-3 was detected by in situhybridization, Rabbit anti-cleavage caspase-3 antibody was used to detectactive capase-3. Results At embryonic day (E) 14.5 and 17.5, expression of the OSM transgenic protein was detected specifically in lens fiber cells. The onset of retinal degeneration in the mid portion of the transgenic retinae was observed started from E17.5. By the time of birth 50% or more of the retinal cells were missing. The OSM transgenic retinal cells underwent apoptosis indicated by TUNEL assays. Most strikingly, activation of caspase-3 protein were observed throughout the transgenic retinas. Conclusions Lens-specific overexpression of OSM activate caspase-3, leading to abnormal eye development,apoptosis and widespread retinal degeneration. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis，2003，19：201-268)