Prevention Of Retinal Damage Research Articles

Light and Electron Microscopic Study on the Possible Ameliorative Role of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Diabetic Retinopathy in Adult Male Albino Rats

Introduction: Stem cell-based therapies have the potential effectivity in many human diseases including retinal disorders. They have been proven to be safe and effective in a wide range of immune-mediated diseases.Aim of the work: To investigate the effectiveness of ADMSCs in the prevention of retinal damage after induction of diabetes.Material and methods: Forty adult male rats were divided into three groups; Group I: subdivided into negative and positive control. Group II: received a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (50 mg/kg), freshly dissolved in 0.9% saline solution. Blood glucose levels were measured two days after STZ injection, and rats with glucose levels ≥ 250 mg/dl were considered diabetic and used in the study. Group III: received STZ, in the same previous dose, then the diabetic rats were injected intravenously with 0.5 ml ADMSCs (1×107 cells/ml) suspended in phosphate-buffered saline. After four weeks, retinal specimens were prepared for histological and immunohistochemical studies.Results: The retina of STZ-treated group showed poorly-developed basal infoldings of RPE cells, distorted lamellar discs of photoreceptor outer segments, loss of cellular elements in the outer nuclear layer, inner nuclear layer and ganglion cell layer, and apoptosis. After ADMSCs administration, there was improvement in the retinal structure. There was highly significant decrease in the area percent of caspase-3 in cells of all retinal layers, compared to the diabetic group, and no difference was found when compared with the control group.Conclusion: ADMSCs was proved to be effective in the prevention of retinopathy in experimentally-induced diabetic rat model. This might represent a valuable tool for stem cell-based therapy in the future.

Evidence for and Against Intravitreous Corticosteroids in Addition to Intravitreous Antibiotics for Acute Endophthalmitis

The use of adjunctive intravitreous corticosteroids in endophthalmitis is controversial. Preclinical models showed that early administration of corticosteroids may be important although they reported mixed results in terms of their effects on antibiotic pharmacokinetics, control of infection and prevention of retinal damage. Most published retrospective clinical studies showed no beneficial effects associated with their use. However, a single well-conducted retrospective study showed a deleterious effect. Randomized controlled trials also showed a lack of beneficial effects. At the present time, the best available evidences do not support the routine use of adjunctive intravitreous corticosteroids for treatment of acute endophthalmitis.

A dietary combination of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids is more efficient than single supplementations in the prevention of retinal damage induced by elevation of intraocular pressure in rats

A dietary combination of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids is more efficient than single supplementations in the prevention of retinal damage induced by elevation of intraocular pressure in rats