The evolution of refractive status in Chinese infants during the first year of life and its affected factors

AIM： To study the evolution of the refractive status and examine the affected factors in infants during the first year of life in a large sample size in China. METHODS： A total of 1258 babies （2516 eyes） aged 32wk gestational age to ty participated in the study, including 766 premature and 492 full-term infants. First, each baby received an orthoptic examination, slit-lamp checking and fundus imaging. Patients with diseases which might affect refractive status were excluded from the cohort. The cycloplegia retinoscopy was performed. Their neonatal histories were reviewed. Each measurement contained the refractive status and calculation of the spherical equivalent （SE）. RESULTS： Refractive state showed an average hyperopia of ＋0.94_＋1.63 D at early ages, followed by a trend toward more hyperopia. The refractive state reached the top （＋2.431.46 D） at the age of one to two months. Then gliding till one year old when the refractive state reached ＋0.59：1.41 D. The prevalence of astigmatism was 42.17% in the study, being 2.82% myopic astigmatism and 39.35% hyperopic astigmatism. The 94.1% of hyperopic astigmatism was with-the-rule astigmatism and 71.83% of myopic astigmatism was with-the-rule astigmatism. Refractive state between boys and girls was different. The mean SE of boys was ＋1.97＋1.57 D, while that of girls was ＋1.79＋1.46 D, and the difference was significant. CONCLUSION： Before one year old, the change of refractive status is associated with checking age and sex. At the age of one to two months, the degree of hyperopia reaches the top. Boys have more hyperopic degree than girls, and with- the-rule astigmatism is predominant. Excluding premature infants with advanced retinopathy of prematurity, premature and full-term children have same refraction status.

Imipramine protects retinal ganglion cells from oxidative stress through the tyrosine kinase receptor B signaling pathway

Retinal ganglion cell（RGC） degeneration is irreversible in glaucoma and tyrosine kinase receptor B（Trk B）-associated signaling pathways have been implicated in the process.In this study,we attempted to examine whether imipramine,a tricyclic antidepressant,may protect hydrogen peroxide（H_2O_2）-induced RGC degeneration through the activation of the Trk B pathway in RGC-5 cell lines.RGC-5 cell lines were pre-treated with imipramine 30 minutes before exposure to H_2O_2.Western blot assay showed that in H_2O_2-damaged RGC-5 cells,imipramine activated Trk B pathways through extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase/Trk B phosphorylation.TUNEL staining assay also demonstrated that imipramine ameliorated H_2O_2-induced apoptosis in RGC-5 cells.Finally,Trk B-Ig G intervention was able to reverse the protective effect of imipramine on H_2O_2-induced RGC-5 apoptosis.Imipramine therefore protects RGCs from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis through the Trk B signaling pathway.