ObjectiveTo determine the association between diabetes mellitus (DM) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).MethodsThis is a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies. The literature search included two databases (PubMed and Embase) and the reference lists of the retrieved studies. Separate meta-analyses for case-control studies and cohort studies were conducted using random-effects models, with results reported as adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and relative risks (RRs), respectively.ResultsThirteen studies—seven case-control studies and six population-based cohort studies—were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled RR of the association between DM and POAG based on the risk estimates of the six cohort studies was 1.40 (95% CI, 1.25–1.57). The pooled OR of the association between DM and POAG based on the risk estimates of the seven case-control studies was 1.49 (95% CI, 1.17–1.88). There was considerable heterogeneity among the case-control studies that reported an association between DM mellitus and POAG (P<0.001) and no significant heterogeneity among the cohort studies (P = 0.377). After omitting the case-control study that contributed significantly to the heterogeneity, the pooled OR for the association between DM and POAG was 1.35 (95% CI, 1.06–1.74).ConclusionsIndividuals with DM have an increased risk of developing POAG.

Multi-drug resistance is an important element which leads to ineffectiveness of chemotherapeutics. To identify subpopulations of cancerous prostate cells with multi-drug resistance and cancer stem-cell properties has recently become a major research interest. We identified a subpopulation from the prostate cancer cell line 22RV1, which have high surface expression of both CD117 and ABCG2. We found this subpopulation of cells termed CD117(+)/ABCG2(+) also overexpress stem cells markers such as Nanog, Oct4, Sox2, Nestin, and CD133. These cells are highly prolific and are also resistant to treatment with a variety of chemotherapeutics such as casplatin, paclitaxel, adriamycin, and methotrexate. In addition, CD117(+)/ABCG2(+) cells can readily establish tumors in vivo in a relatively short time. To investigate the mechanism of aggressive tumor growth and drug resistance, we examined the CpG islands on the ABCG2 promoter of CD117(+)/ABCG2(+) cells and found they were remarkably hypomethylated. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed high levels of both histone 3 acetylation and H3K4 trimethylation at the CpG islands on the ABCG2 promoter. Our these data suggest that CD117(+)/ABCG2(+) cells could be reliably sorted from the human prostate cancer cell line 22RV1, and represent a valuable model for studying cancer cell physiology and multi-drug resistance. Furthermore, identification and study of these cells could have a profound impact on selection of individual treatment strategies, clinical outcome, and the design or selection of the next generation of chemotherapeutic agents.

BackgroundTo evaluate the peripapillary choroidal thickness of a healthy Chinese population, and to determine its influencing factors.MethodsA total of 76 healthy volunteers (76 eyes) without ophthalmic or systemic symptoms were enrolled. Choroidal scans (360-degree 3.4 mm diameter peripapillary circle scans) were obtained for all eyes using enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Choroid thickness was measured at the temporal, superotemporal, superior, superonasal, nasal, inferonasal, inferior, and inferotemporal segments.ResultsThe average peripapillary choroidal thicknesses were 165.03 ± 40.37 μm. Inferonasal, inferior, and inferotemporal thicknesses were significantly thinner than temporal, superotemporal, superior, superonasal, nasal thicknesses (p < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found among inferonasal, inferior, and inferotemporal thicknesses. The average peripapillary choroidal thickness decreased linearly with age (β = −1.33, 95% CI −1.98, -0.68, P < 0.001). No correlation was noted between average choroidal thickness and other factors (gender, refractive error, axial length, average retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, intraocular pressure, diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, mean blood pressure, diastolic ocular perfusion pressure, systolic ocular perfusion pressure, and mean ocular perfusion pressure).ConclusionsThe inferonasal, inferior, inferotemporal peripapillary choroidal thicknesses were significantly thinner than temporal, superotemporal, superior, superonasal, and nasal thicknesses. A thinner peripapillary choroid is associated with increasing age.

PACS eyes that had a fellow eye experience of APAC had a thicker macular choroid than the control eyes. The potential role of a thicker choroid as a risk factor for APAC must be investigated further.

APAC eyes have a higher level of macular choroidal thickness than PACS eyes when the IOP is reduced. However, the source of this difference is unclear and must be investigated further.

PURPOSE. To measure levels of various inflammation-related cytokines in the aqueous humor of patients with acute primary angle-closure (APAC) and senile cataract.METHODS. Aqueous humor samples were prospectively collected from 23 eyes (12 eyes with current APAC and 11 eyes with previous APAC) of 23 APAC patients and 15 eyes of 15 cataract patients. The levels of 15 inflammation-related cytokines in the aqueous humor of APAC and cataract subjects were measured by using the multiplex bead immunoassay technique. Data on patient demographics and preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) were also collected for correlation analysis.

BackgroundTo report the thickness of the retina, retinal ganglion cell (RGC)-related layers, and choroid in healthy subjects using swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT).MethodsOne hundred and forty-six healthy volunteers were consecutively recruited for this prospective observational study. Thickness of retina, RGC-related layers, and choroid in the standard early treatment of diabetic retinopathy study (ETDRS) grid were automatically measured using one SS-OCT (DRI OCT-1, Topcon, Japan). The IOL Master (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Germany) was used to measure axial length (AL).ResultsThicknesses of the average macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) were 105.3 ± 9.7 and 78.5 ± 6.2 um respectively. Neither of them was significantly related with sex, age, or AL. Both showed strong correlations with retinal thickness (r = 0.793, p = 0.000; r = 0.813, p = 0.000, respectively) and with similar topographic distributions within the retina. The thicknesses of retina and GCC/GCIPL in the inner sectors were significantly higher than in the outer sectors of the EDTRS area, while in the same region of the macula, the choroid exhibited completely different patterns of topographic variation. Men had 7.8 um thicker retina and 34.9 um thicker choroid than women after adjustment for age and AL (all p < 0.05). Age and AL could significantly influence the choroidal thickness but not the retina (all p < 0.05).ConclusionThickness of GCC/GCIPL in healthy Chinese individuals is not dramatically different across gender, age, and AL groups in terms of ETDRS grid, but sex is critical for retinal and choroidal thickness. Choroidal structure (but not retinal) can be significantly influenced by age and AL.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12886-015-0110-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

As a newly approved oral hypoglycaemic agent, the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor dapagliflozin, which is derived from the natural product phlorizin can effectively reduce blood glucose. Recent clinical studies have found that dapagliflozin alleviates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but the specific mechanism remains to be explored. This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism of dapagliflozin in alleviating hepatocyte steatosis in vitro and in vivo. We fed the spontaneous type 2 diabetes mellitus rats with high-fat diets and cultured human normal liver LO2 cells and human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells with palmitic acid (PA) to induce hepatocellular steatosis. Dapagliflozin attenuated hepatic lipid accumulation both in vitro and in vivo. In Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats, dapagliflozin reduced hepatic lipid accumulation via promoting phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1), and upregulating lipid β-oxidation enzyme acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX1). Furthermore, dapagliflozin increased the expression of the autophagy-related markers LC3B and Beclin1, in parallel with a drop in p62 level. Similar effects were observed in PA-stimulated LO2 cells and HepG2 cells. Dapagliflozin treatment could also significantly activated AMPK and reduced the phosphorylation of mTOR in ZDF rats and PA-stimulated LO2 cells and HepG2 cells. We demonstrated that dapagliflozin ameliorates hepatic steatosis by decreasing lipogenic enzyme, while inducing fatty acid oxidation enzyme and autophagy, which could be associated with AMPK activation. Moreover, our results indicate that dapagliflozin induces autophagy via the AMPK-mTOR pathway. These findings reveal a novel clinical application and functional mechanism of dapagliflozin in the treatment of NAFLD.