Investigative ophthalmology & visual science
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Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. · Jun 2013
MRI acquisition and analysis protocol for in vivo intraorbital optic nerve segmentation at 3T.
To present a new acquisition and analysis protocol for reliable and reproducible segmentation of the entire intraorbital optic nerve (ION) mean cross-sectional area by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3 tesla (T). ⋯ This study presents a new MRI acquisition and analysis protocol for reliable and reproducible in vivo measurement of the entire ION mean cross-sectional area as demonstrated in a pilot study of healthy subjects. The protocol presented here can be used in future studies of the ION in disease state.
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Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. · Jun 2013
Analysis of saccades and peak velocity to symmetrical convergence stimuli: binocularly normal controls compared to convergence insufficiency patients.
To assess the potential peak velocity asymmetry between the left-eye and right-eye movement responses stimulated by symmetrical vergence steps in those with normal binocular vision and those with convergence insufficiency (CI) before and after vergence training. This study also evaluated whether vergence training influenced convergence peak velocity and the prevalence of saccades within the first second of the response. ⋯ Data suggest that vergence training improves the symmetry between the left-eye and right-eye movements, increases convergence peak velocity, and decreases the prevalence of saccades within the first second of the response, which facilitates binocular coordination in CI patients. Saccades may be a compensatory mechanism used by CI subjects when convergence peak velocity is reduced.
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Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. · Jun 2013
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-β/δ regulates angiogenic cell behaviors and oxygen-induced retinopathy.
To develop new therapies against ocular neovascularization (NV), we tested the effect of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-β/δ (PPAR-β/δ) agonism and antagonism on angiogenic behaviors and in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMEC) and on preretinal NV in rat oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). ⋯ PPAR-β/δ activation exacerbates, and its inhibition reduces, preretinal NV. PPAR-β/δ may regulate preretinal NV through a prodifferentiation/maturation mechanism that depends on Angptl4. Pharmacologic inhibition of PPAR-β/δ may provide a rational basis for therapeutic targeting of ocular NV.
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Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. · Jun 2013
Protective effect of pioglitazone on retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.
To investigate the protective effect of pioglitazone on the rat retina after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and to explore its possible mechanisms. ⋯ Pioglitazone could inhibit activation of the glia cells, prevent cell apoptosis, and protect the retina from subsequent cellular damage caused by the retinal I/R. The possible mechanism might involve the NF-κB pathway.