ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Crocin on structure and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha; (TNF-alpha;) and interleukin-1beta; (IL-1beta;) in rat retina after injury by ischemia-reperfusion. Methods A total of 80 Sprague-Dawley male rats at the age of 8 -10 weeks were divided into control group, model group, low-dose Crocin group and high-dose Crocin group, with 20 rats in each group. The rats of control group were not treated. The rats in model, low-dose Crocin and high-dose Crocin group were induced with normal saline by anterior chamber perfusion creating a retinal ischemia-reperfusion (RIR) model. The rats of the low-dose Crocin and highdose Crocin group received intraperitoneal injection with different doses of Crocin solution (5 mg/kg, or 50 mg/kg) 30 minutes prior to ischemic injury and one time per day after successful RIR. Optical microscopy was used to observe the retinal structure. Enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the expression of TNF-alpha; and IL-1beta; 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after RIR. ResultsThe retinal structure of control group was normal. Pathological changes were found in the RIR model and low-dose Crocin group, such as retinal edema, disorganized structure and loosely packed cells. The degree of pathological changes in lowdose Crocin group was less than the RIR model group. The retinal structure of high-dose Crocin group was similar to the control group. The expression of TNF-alpha; was the highest at 24 hours after modeling, while the expression of IL-1beta; was the highest at 12 and 48 hours after RIR modeling. Six, 12, 24 and 48 hours after RIR modeling, compared with the control group, the TNF-alpha; expression of model (t=5.42, 7.94, 9.32, 9.18;P＜0.05 ), low-dose Crocin (t=3.94, 4.12, 4.98, 3.84;P＜0.05) and high-dose Crocin group (t=2.13, 2.34, 2.96, 2.78;P＞0.05) were increased. Compared with the RIR model group, the TNF-alpha; expression of low-dose Crocin (t=3.95, 4.56, 4.01, 5.12) and high-dose Crocin group (t=5.23, 7.65, 7.74, 7.63) was decreased. Compared with the control group, the IL-1beta; expression of model (t=7.23, 7.87, 7.15, 15.60), low-dose Crocin (t=5.65, 5.10, 5.54, 6.87;P＜0.05) and high-dose Crocin group (t=4.38, 5.21, 4.56, 4.75) was increased (P＜0.05). Compared with the model group, the IL-1beta; expression of low.dose Crocin group was decreased significantly 48 hours after RIR modeling (t=7.56,P＜0.05); but it decreased significantly at each time point in high-dose Crocin group (t=6.94, 5.36, 6.05, 10.50;P＜0.05). Conclusion Crocin can improve the retinal pathologic changes, while down-regulating TNF-alpha; and IL-1beta; expression in RIR rats.
Objective To monitor the release of amino acids of the whole retina during and after experimental glaucoma by increasing the intraocular pressure （IOP）． Methods Experimental glaucoma was induced in one of the two eyes of rabbits by increasing IOP at 120 mm Hg for 45 min under infusion of saline in anterior chamber；then the pressure was released and the needle inserted into the anterior chamber was removed，this state was maintained for another 45 min．Every 15 min during the experiment 5 rabbits were killed and experimental eyes were enucleated．Aliquots（20 μl）of the retinal extracts（see below）were mixed with ophthaldialdehyde reagent and analysed for amino acid content by the HPLC method of Wangwei，using a 150 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm C18 column． Results A large increase in the release of glutamate，but not of the other three amino acids monitored，occurred during initial experimental ocular hypertension．It reached peak value of（111.73±17.46）10-5 mmol/g at 15 min of hypertension．15 min after release of intraocular pressure，again，immediately large and specific increase in the concentration of glutamate was reached to（102.96±51.91）10-5 mmol/g．In eyes subjected to paracentesis of anterior chamber，no difference was found between experimental eyes and controls. Conclusion These results suggest that glutamate is triggered by increasing the IOP，and it releases not only during the period of experimental ocular hypertension，but also afterwards. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2002, 18: 146-148)
Objective To observe the effect of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha;（HIF-1alpha;）to the expression of cell surface adhesion molecules CD18 and the adhesion ability of leukocytes and vascular endothelial cells under early stage of diabetic retinopathy condition.Methods The human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL60 and the rhesus choroid-retina vascular endothelial cell line RF/6A were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium-10% human serum, which was collected from the subjects of early stage of diabetic retinopathy and age-matched healthy control. The cells were cultured in 4 groups as control group (group A), diabetic group (group B), HIF-1 anti-sense oligonucleotides (ASODN) group (group C) and HIF-1 sense oligonucleotides (SODN) group (group D). The percentages of CD18 positive cell in the HL60 cell were measured by flow cytometry and mRNA in the HL60 cell by realtime reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction（RT-PCR）. Results The percentage of CD18 positive cell in the group A, B, C and D was 17.06plusmn;6.01, 42.23plusmn;2.60, 25.33plusmn;3.05 and 32.40plusmn;10.57, respectively, the differences among them were significant (F=36.47,P＜0.001). Compared to the group A,the expression of CD18 mRNA in the group B,C and D was increased about 21.05plusmn;2.07、2.23plusmn;0.96 and 25.07plusmn;2.27 times,respectively, the differences among them were significant (F=180.34, Plt;0.001). The adherent rates of HL60 to RF/6A in group A, B, C and D was 0.06plusmn;0.00,0.09plusmn;0.10,0.05plusmn;0.00 and 0.07plusmn;0.01, respectively,the differences among them were significant（F=13.06，P=0.002）.Conclusion In vitro, HIF-1 could regulate the expression of CD18 by HL60, and the adhesion of HL60 to RF/6A when the cells were exposed to diabetic serum. The effects of human serum weaken with the inhibition of HIF-1 expression.HIF-1 play regulatory role in the expression of CD18 and adhesion of leukocytes and vascular endothelial cells under early stage of diabetic retinopathy condition.