Gastrodin protects retinal ganglion cells through inhibiting microglial-mediated neuroinflammation in an acute ocular hypertension model

AIM：To investigate the neuroprotective effect of gastrodin on retinal ganglion cells（RGCs）in an acute ocular hypertension（AOH）rat model and to identify its possible mechanism.METHODS：AOH rat model was performed in a randomly selected eye by anterior chamber perfusion and either received an intraperitoneal injection with various concentrations of gastrodin or normal saline.After 2wk,the rats were sacrificed.Fluoro Gold was used to label survival RGCs.Immunostaining with anti-Iba1 in the retinal flat mounts to calculate the microglia density in the ganglion cell layer（GCL）.Changes in microglial cytokines,tumour necrosis factor-alpha（TNF-α）and inducible NO synthase（i NOS）were examined with Western blot and reverse transcriptionquantitative polymerase chain reaction.Expression levels of total and phosphorylated p38 mitogen activated protein kinase（MAPK）were determined by Western blot.RESULTS：Results showed that AOH induced significant loss of RGCs and severe microglia activation in the GCL.Besides,AOH increased the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and promoted the release of microglial cytokines in the retinas.Intraperitoneal injection with dose-dependent gastrodin significantly reduced the loss of RGCs and inhibited retinal microglia activation,accompanied with the decreased expression levels of microglial cytokines and p38 MAPK phosphorylation.CONCLUSION：Gastrodin exerts a neuroprotective effect on RGCs in an acute glaucoma animal model viainhibiting microglia activation and microglial-mediated neuroinflammation.The finding demonstrates the potential application of gastrodin in the neuroprotective therapy of acute glaucoma and other retinal neurodegenerative diseases characterized by microglia activation and RGCs death.

Aqueous proinflammatory cytokines in acute primary angle-closure eyes

AIM：To evaluate changes of proinflammatory cytokines in aqueous humor of patients with acute primary angleclosure（APAC） and age-related cataracts. METHODS：Twenty eyes of 20 APAC patients and 15 eyes of 15 age-related cataract patients were included in this cross-sectional study. Aqueous humor samples were collected prospectively. The levels of 20 proinflammatory cytokines were evaluated in the aqueous humor of the APAC and cataract patients using the multiplex bead immunoassay technique. Clinical data were collected for correlation analysis.RESULTS：Seven of the 20 proinflammatory cytokines included in the magnetic bead panel were detectable in both APAC eyes and cataract eyes：interleukin（IL）-10, IL-12, IL-15, IL-21, IL-6, chemokine（C-C motif） ligand 20, and tumor necrosis factor alpha（TNF-α）. IL-27 was only detectable in APAC eyes. Compared with the cataract eyes, the APAC eyes had significantly elevated concentrations of IL-12（P=0.036）, IL-15（P=0.001）, IL-6（P=0.012）, and IL-27（only detectable in APAC eyes）. Age was positively correlated with IL-12（P=0.022） and IL-6（P=0.037）, and time elapsed between APAC onset and aqueous humor samples collection was positively correlated with IL-15（P=0.037）, IL-27（P=0.040）, and TNF-α（P=0.042）.CONCLUSION：Several proinflammatory cytokines including IL-12,IL-15, IL-6 and IL-27, were elevated in the APAC eyes and may be implicated in its pathologic mechanism.

New Observation of Na2 4^3∑g^＋ State by Pulsed Perturbation Facilitated Optical-Optical Double Resonance Spectroscopy

用微扰增强双共振对钠分子4~3∑_g^+态33900～35200 cm^(-1)的65个振转能级进行了实验观测。以往用连续激光双共振方法只看到低振动能级,用脉冲激光双共振和检测解离产物的方法只观测到高振动能级。获得的新数据填补了以往数据的空缺。综合v=0～31能级所有数据,拟合出一套分子常数,计算出RKR势能曲线。主要分子常数为：T_e=32127.090 cm^(-1),ω_e=121.1099(0.20720)cm^(-1),B_e=0.116287(0.0002300)cm^(-1),Re=3.551 (?)。还对J. Chem. Phys.108,7707 (1998)中RKR势能曲线的一个错误进行了纠正。