Infectious and infection-related optic neuritis is an important type of optic neuritis. Infectious optic neuritis is caused by direct spread of pathogenic organism to optic nerve from local infection or blood transmission. Infection-related optic neuritis is caused by pathogens-induced immune allergic reaction. They present with atypical clinical features of optic neuritis, including progressive vision loss, persistent eye pain or headache, ineffectiveness or even worse of glucocorticoid therapy. Fundus manifestations include optic disc swelling with peripapillary hemorrhage or neuro-retinitis, and the feature of concurrent uveitis. When these patients first visit ophthalmic clinics, they often lack signs of systemic infection, thus it is easy to misdiagnose them as other types of optic neuropathy and mistakenly treat them. In particular, high-dose glucocorticoid therapy can lead to very serious consequences. Therefore, how to correctly diagnose infectious and infection-related optic neuritis in the early stages are very important for ophthalmologists and need to be seriously kept in our mind.
ObjectiveTo investigate the neuroprotective effect of Benztropine on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) death and optic nerve injury in rats model of non-arteritis anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (rNAION).MethodsA total of 25 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into Benztropine treatment group (n=13) and PBS control group (n=12). The right eye was set as the experimental eye. rNAION model was established by using rose Bengal combined with laser photodynamic method. The rats in the Benztropine treatment group were received intraperitoneal injection with Benztropine 10 mg/kg (0.2 ml) daily for 3 weeks, while the rats in the PBS control group were received intraperitoneal injection with an equal volume of PBS. At 1, 3 and 7 days after modeling, the retinal and optic disc conditions of the rats were observed by direct ophthalmoscopy. Retrograde labeling, fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the survival of RGCs and the damage of the optic nerve myelin and axon at 4 weeks after modeling. The RGCs density and survival rate of the two groups were compared by One-Way Anova.ResultsAt 1 and 3 days after modeling, the optic disc edema was observed in the rats of rNAION model group. At 7 days after modeling, the optic disc edema decreased and the boundary was blurred compared with 3 days after modeling.After 4 weeks, the RGCs density in the PBS group was 308±194/mm2 and the survival rate was 13.7%. The density of RGCs in the Benztropine group was 1173+868/mm2 and the survival rate was 47.6%. The differences of RGCs density and survival rate were significant between the two groups (F=7.552, 8.184; P=0.015, 0.012). Myelin disintegration, axon degeneration, onion-like body and gliosis were observed in the optic nerve sections of rNIAON in the PBS group, while the damage of axon and myelin structure in the Benztropine group was significantly less than that in the PBS group.ConclusionsBenztropine group showed higher RGC survival rate, less damage of axon and myelin structure on rNAION model. This study explored the potential neuroprotective effect of Benztropine.
Objectives To evaluate the risk factors of nonarteritic a nterior ischemic optic neuropathy（NAION）in a population of China and to provide theory basis for clinical decision. Methods Demographic features and clinical data of NAION were recorded. Cerebral infarction (CI) patients were also collected as control group. Systemic evaluations including whole blood chemical test, brain MRI, carotid artery ultrasound and fundus photography were perfor med in NAION and CI patients. The fundus photography and cup/disk ratio were als o acquired in a healthy controlgroup with matched age and gender. Statistical a nalysis was done by SPSS11.5 software. Results Thirtyeight N AION patients and 40 CI patients with intact data were included. Fundus photography and cup/disk ratio were acquired in 41 healthy individuals. No statistically significant difference regard to incidences of diabetes, male gender and lipid metabolic abnormalities was found between NAION and CI patients (Pgt;0.05). H ypertension, clinical and subclinical cerebral vascular disease and carotid ar tery stenosis were statistically more commonin CI patients than in NAION patien ts (Plt;0.01, 0.05). Cup/disk ratio was statistically significant smaller in NAION than in CI patients while no statistical difference (Pgt;0.05) was fo und between the CI group and healthy individuals. Conclusions NAION shared similar risk factors with cerebral infarction, but exposure of these risk factors was different between NAION and cerebral infarction. Hypertension , cerebral vascular disease and carotid artery stenosis were more common in cere bral infarction while diabetes, male gender and lipid metabolic abnormalities were similar. Small cup/disk ratio was an independent and the most important risk factor for NAION. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis,2008,24:86-89)
Objective To culture astrocytes of human optic nerve and establish the cell lines for further study of healing process after optic nerve trauma. Methods Astrocytes of infantile optic nerve were cultured by tissue inoculation or tissue digestion with 0.25 % trypsin and 0.06% EDTA. The second and fourth passage cells were stained with HE and anti-GFAP, S-100 protein, vimentin, and CD34 antibodies. Results The trypsinized astrocytes of infantile optic nerver eached confluence in 7 days. The cultured cells were in polygonal shape with processes and the cytoplasm was abundant. These cells were positive in GFAP, S-100 protein and vimentin staining, and negative in CD34 staining. Conclusions Astrocytes of human optic nerve can be successfully cultured by trypsinization rather than tissue inoculation. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2001,17:144-146)