Activity

03 and

= 0.01, respectively).

Patients with diabetic retinopathy exhibit reduced vessel density, which may suggest diabetic microangiopathy in the conjunctiva. Anterior segment OCTA may detect conjunctival microangiopathy in patients with visual axis opacifications, where retinal OCTA is not possible.

The findings of this study bridge the gap between experimental anterior segment OCTA imaging and clinical screening for diabetic complications.

The findings of this study bridge the gap between experimental anterior segment OCTA imaging and clinical screening for diabetic complications.

To assess the fluidics of 23-gauge (G) large-port (L) and tear drop-port (TD) hypersonic vitrectomy probes (HVPs) compared with guillotine vitrectomy probes (GVPs) of various calibers (23G, 25G, and 27G) and geometries (single and double blades). Also, to identify the working parameters that provide the best balance between acceleration and flow rate, and, for HVPs, to measure temperature variations in the fluid.

We used particle image velocimetry to measure flow fields in balanced salt solution and viscoelastic artificial vitreous. We analyzed acceleration, kinetic energy, and volumetric flux. The parameters considered were vacuum pressure, ultrasound stroke, and cut rate. Temperature measurements were taken using an infrared thermal camera.

The flow rate was significantly higher for HVPs than GVPs. With both probes, flow rate and acceleration increased with vacuum pressure. Flow rate depended weakly on the ultrasound stroke or cut rate. In HVPs, the acceleration peaked at a stroke of 30 µm, whereas inificant.

This study aims to develop an impedance-based drug screening platform that will help identify drugs that can enhance the vascular barrier function by stabilizing vascular endothelial cell junctions.

Changes in permeability of cultured human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) monolayer were monitored in real-time with the xCELLigence RTCA system. Using this platform, we performed a primary screen of 2100 known drugs and confirmed hits using two additional secondary permeability assays the transwell permeability assay and the XPerT assay. learn more The cellular and molecular mechanisms of action and in vivo therapeutic efficacy were also assessed.

Eleven compounds blocked interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) induced hyperpermeability in the primary screen. Two of 11 compounds, apigenin and ethaverine hydrochloride, reproducibly blocked multiple cytokines induced hyperpermeability. In addition to HRMEC monolayers, the two compounds stabilized three other types of primary vascular endothelial cell monolayers. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that the two compounds stabilize the endothelium by blocking ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6) activation, which results in enhanced VE-cadherin membrane localization. The two compounds showed in vivo efficacy in an animal model of retinal permeability.

We developed an impedance-based cellular phenotypic drug screening platform that can identify drugs that enhance vascular barrier function. We found apigenin and ethaverine hydrochloride stabilize endothelial cell junctions and enhance the vascular barrier by blocking ARF6 activation and increasing VE-cadherin membrane localization.

The drugs identified from the phenotypic screen would have potential therapeutic efficacy in retinal vascular diseases regardless of the underlying mechanisms that promote vascular leak.

The drugs identified from the phenotypic screen would have potential therapeutic efficacy in retinal vascular diseases regardless of the underlying mechanisms that promote vascular leak.

To compare measurement of wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) by means of high-resolution adaptive optics imaging (AO) with intuitive to use retinal vessel wall (VW) analysis (VWA). Moreover, to validate the techniques by comparing WLR of healthy young (HY) with healthy older patients.

Ten retinal VW images of 13 HY (24 ± 2 years) and 16 healthy older (60 ± 8 years) were obtained with AO and VWA. The average of five measurements of VW, retinal vessel lumen and WLR of a single vessel from AO and VWA were calculated and compared.

WLR of AO and VWA images showed high correlations, r = 0.75, t(27) = 5.98,

< .001, but differed systematically (WLR VWA, 40 ± 7% and AO, 35 ± 9%;

< .001). Comparable patterns were found for VW and vessel lumen. HY showed significantly lower WLR (AO, 31 ± 8% and VWA, 36 ± 8%) compared with healthy older (AO, 39 ± 9% [

= .012]; VWA, 42 ± 5% [

= .013]).

Assessment of WLR by VWA showed a good correlation with laborious analysis of the microstructure by high-resolution AO. Measurement of WLR in different age groups indicated good validity. Deviations in VW, vessel lumen, and WLR between AO and VWA can be explained by systematic differences in image scale and resolution. Future studies are needed to investigate the clinical relevance of microvascular WLR assessment by retinal VWA and its prognostic value.

Additional assessment of retinal WLR by use of digital VWA to evaluate microstructural remodeling may prove to be a valuable extension to the current use of retinal vessel diameters as biomarkers of cardiovascular risk.

Additional assessment of retinal WLR by use of digital VWA to evaluate microstructural remodeling may prove to be a valuable extension to the current use of retinal vessel diameters as biomarkers of cardiovascular risk.

to evaluate the effect of biofeedback (BF) rehabilitation on the visual function and on the activity of primary visual cortex (PVC) in patients with Stargardt’s disease owing to mutations in the

gene (STGD1).

This was a single-center, controlled, randomized study. Twenty-four patients with STGD1 were randomized into two groups a treatment group (TG) undergoing BF rehabilitation and a control group (CG). Treatment with BF consisted of a 10-minute session per eye performed weekly for 12 weeks. The subjects underwent a baseline and 3-month follow-up visits, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), reading test, microperimetry, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The fMRI studies were acquired sequentially using a passive viewing condition and an active reading task. The primary outcomes were the change in the fMRI activation of primary visual cortex and the change in reading ability.

After treatment, the patients in the TG were able to read smaller characters (

= 0.002) with a greater reading speed (

= 0.