Connexin (Cx) channels and hemichannels are involved in essential processes during nervous system development such as apoptosis, propagation of spontaneous activity and interkinetic nuclear movement. In the first part of this study, we extensively characterized Cx gene and protein expression during retinal histogenesis. We observed distinct spatio-temporal patterns among studied Cx and an overriding, ubiquitous presence of Cx45 in progenitor cells. The role of Cx-mediated communication was assessed by using broad-spectrum (carbenoxolone, CBX) and Cx36/Cx50 channel-specific (quinine) blockers. In vivo application of CBX, but not quinine, caused remarkable reduction in retinal thickness, suggesting changes in cell proliferation/apoptosis ratio. Indeed, we observed a decreased number of mitotic cells in CBX-injected retinas, with no significant changes in the expression of PCNA, a marker for cells in proliferative state. Taken together, our results pointed a pivotal role of Cx45 in the developing retina. Moreover, this study revealed that Cx-mediated communication is essential in retinal histogenesis, particularly in the control of cell proliferation.

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The results provide evidence that in moderate and severe stages of POAG, both the inner and outer retinal contributions to PLR are affected. Also, a worsening in color vision was correlated with reduced PLR responses at high-intensity stimuli. These findings may enhance the clinical management of POAG patients.

The fixed combination of latanoprost/timolol was significantly superior to bimatoprost alone in reducing IOP in patients with POAG or OHT. Further studies with large sample sizes should be taken to support the superior efficacy of latanoprost/timolol, as well as to better assess its profile of side effects.

SMS patients show dysfunction in the sustained component of the PLR to blue light. It could explain their well-known abnormal melatonin profile and elevated circulating melatonin levels during the day. Synchronization of daily melatonin profile and its photoinhibition are dependent on the activation of melanopsin. This retinal dysfunction might be related to a deficit in melanopsin-based photoreception, but a deficit in rod function is also possible.

Purpose: To evaluate the retinal nerve fiber layer measurements with time-domain (TD) and spectral-domain (SD) optical coherence tomography (OCT), and to test the diagnostic ability of both technologies in glaucomatous patients with asymmetric visual hemifield loss. Methods: 36 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma with visual field loss in one hemifield (affected) and absent loss in the other (non-affected), and 36 age-matched healthy controls had the study eye imaged with Stratus-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, California, USA) and 3 D OCT-1000 (Topcon, Tokyo, Japan). Peripapillary re tinal nerve fiber layer measurements and normative classification were recorded. Total deviation values were averaged in each hemifield (hemifield mean deviation) for each subject. Visual field and retinal nerve fiber layer "asymmetry indexes" were calculated as the ratio between affected versus non-affected hemifields and corresponding hemiretinas. Conclusions: Normal hemifields of glaucoma patients had thinner retinal nerve fiber layer than healthy eyes, as measured by TD and SD-OCT. Retinal nerve fiber layer measurements were thicker with TD than SD-OCT. SD-OCT detected abnormal retinal nerve fiber layer thickness more often than TD-OCT.

Introduction: The objective of this work is to describe a conservative surgical technique as an alternative to classic penile amputations, aiming the local control of the disease, in addition to trying to preserve the patient's sexual function.Surgical technique: After a circular incision of the skin around the penis, the subfascial plane is developed until the base of the organ. The dorsal neurovascular bundle and the urethra are isolated in their distal extremities. The neurovascular bundle is sectioned distally. A retrocoronal dissection plane is developed between the glans and the corpora cavernosa. When this stage is complete, the glans is fixed only to the urethra, which is distally sectioned as well. The neurovascular bundle is fixed to the dorsal albuginea. Following the spatulation of the urethra, a neomeatus is created using the overlay skin of the penis. Between January 2001 and July 2002, we employed this technique in 6 patients who had epidermoid carcinoma of the penis, which were limited to the glans, superficial, well or moderately differentiated and measuring up to 3 cm.Comments: Several conservative surgical methods for treatment of carcinoma of the penis aim the organ's preservation, in an attempt of improving the quality of life of patients, however the indexes of local recurrence and failure in disease control are significant. The described technique showed to be safe and effective for disease control, in addition to preserving sexual function in all patients who were treated, representing, thus, a quite appealing conservative surgical alternative in selected cases.