ObjectiveTo observe the multimodal imaging features of the eyes with acute syphilitic post-polar squamous chorioretinitis (ASPPC) at different stages of disease.MethodsA retrospective case study. From July 2016 to March 2019, 8 patients (11 eyes) of ASPPC patients diagnosed in the ophthalmological examination of Yunnan Second People's Hospital were included in the study. Among them, there were 7 males (10 eyes) and 1 female (1 eye); the average age was 48.7±8.9 years; the average course of disease was 13.24 ±11.30 months. All patients underwent fundus color photography, infrared photography (IR), FAF, FFA, OCT, OCT angiography (OCTA). According to the stage and characteristics of the disease, the affected eyes were divided into acute phase and absorption phase, with 7 and 4 eyes respectively. We observed the color fundus images of ASPPC, IR, FAF, FFA, OCT, OCTA image characteristics of different disease stages.ResultsIn the acute phase, the posterior pole subretinal yellow-white squamous lesions, neuroepithelial detachment, and yellow-white exudates were observed in fundus color photography; uneven infrared reflections can be seen in the lesion area by IR; the posterior pole was round or scaly with strong autofluorescence in FAF, the range was larger than the fundus color photography; FFA arteriovenous stage lesions showed fuzzy weak fluorescence, the fluorescence gradually increased with time, the late stage showed a round-shaped strong fluorescence, surrounded by a weak fluorescence ring, and the area with thick exudation was covered by fluorescence; the neuroepithelium of the diseased area was detached, the uniform strong reflection signal can be seen in it by OCT. In the absorption phase, fundus color photography showed the yellow-white scaly lesions under the posterior retina absorption, and the pigment was slightly depleted; IR showed the mottled infrared reflection in the lesion area was significantly reduced compared with the acute phase; FAF showed the posterior spot-like strong autofluorescence, including "leopard spot-like changes" 3 eyes; FFA showed mottled fluorescent staining in the lesion, and no fluorescein leakage or accumulation; OCT showed needle-like protrusions in the RPE layer, and the outer membrane and ellipsoid zone were unclear; OCTA showed weakened choroidal capillary blood flow signal, the signal was missing in some areas.ConclusionsIn the acute phase of ASPPC, the posterior pole subretinal shows yellow-white squamous lesions, neuroepithelial detachment, yellow-white exudate, FFA shows late fluorescein leakage in the lesion area; in the absorption period, the fundus shows yellow-white lesions have been absorbed, and FFA shows fluorescence dyed without any leakage. OCT indicates that the RPE, outer membrane and ellipsoid zone are damaged to varying degrees. OCTA indicates that the choroid of the diseased area had weakened blood flow signal.
Objective To observe the dynamic expression of nestin and glial fibrilary acidic protein (GFAP) in the development of retina in rats.Methods In 48 Wistar rats, 24 were divided into 8 groups with 3 rats in each according to their age (1 day, 1 week, and 2, 3, 4, 7, 12, and 20 weeks old). The sagittal freezing sections of the eye were made; nestin/glutamine synthetase (GS) and GFAP/GS were stained by immunofluorescence and were observed under the confocal microscope. Total RNA was extracted from 18 rats which were divided into 6 groups according to the age (1 day, 1 week, and 2, 3, 4, and 12 weeks old) with 3 rats in each. The expression of nestin, GAFA and GS mRNA were detected by realtime quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Müller cells were cultured from postnatal day 7-12 rats; the expression of nestin and GFAP was detected by immunostaining study. Double immunofluorescence was carried out between nestin/GS and GFAP/GS.Results One day after the birth, nestin positive cells were found in the whole retinal neuroblast layers with elongated retinal progenitor cells; the GFAP positive astrocytes were observed in the inner retina. One week after the birth, Müller glial cells expressed GS and nestin but not GFAP; GFAP positive cells localized in the inner retina.Two to 12 weeks after the birth, the expression of nestin in Müller cells decreased and even disappeared; the expression of GFAP in astrocytes didn't change much. The Müller cells expressed nestin but no GFAP in vitro. The expression of nestin and GFAP mRNA in retina was accordant with the results of immunofluorescence staining.Conclusion In the developing retina, the expression of nestin in Müller cells decreases gradually, and no expression of nestin can be found in adult rats; the expression of GFAP can't be observed in Müller cells in neonatal and adult rats.
ObjectiveTo observe the protective effect of human umbilical cord blood stem cells (hUCBSC) transplantation on retinal ganglion cells (RGC) after optic nerve injury. Method48 adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into group A and B, therefore 24 rats in each group. Calibrated optic nerve crush injury model was induced in the left eyes, the right eyes served as a control. Medicine was injected at seventh day after optic nerve injury. PBS was injected into the eyes of Group A rats by peribulbar injection. The hUCBSCs were injected into the eyes of Group B rats by peribulbar injection. Seven days before sacrifice, 5% fluorogold was injected into superior colliculi bilaterally. At 7, 14, 21, 28 days after labeled, retinal flat mounts were observed under fluorescence microscope and optical microscope to investigate the morphological and RGC changes in density during retinal degeneration. ResultsThe RGC number showed a tendency to decline gradually along with increases of the time in two groups, but the trend of decrease of Group B was evidently slower than that of Group A. The RGC number of the injury eye were less than the control eye in Group A and B (t=3.24, 3.15; P < 0.05). At 7, 14, 21, 28 days after labeled, the RGC number (t=4.78, 4.70, 3.98, 3.27; P < 0.05) and labeled RGC rate (t=4.39, 4.21, 4.36, 5.07; P < 0.05) in group B were more than those in group A. After optic nerve injury, there was karyopycnosis on ganglion cell layer of retina, thinning on each layer of retina, derangement of cell and decrease in RGC. There was different degree of the above change in different time after optic nerve injury. There were the swelling, the hemorrhage, derangement of spongiocyte and the denaturation like vacuole in the spot of optic nerve injury. Moreover, they were aggravating with increases of the time after optic nerve injury. There was no pathological changes in normal eyes. ConclusionThe hUCBSC can increase the survival rate of the RGC and can rescue and(or) restore the injujed RGC after transplanted into body of optic nerve crush rat model by peribulbar injection.