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Wang X, Wang M, Liu H, Mercieca K, Prinz J, Feng Y, Prokosch V. The Association between Vascular Abnormalities and Glaucoma-What Comes First? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13211. [PMID: 37686017 PMCID: PMC10487550 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. While intraocular pressure (IOP) presents a major risk factor, the underlying pathophysiology still remains largely unclear. The correlation between vascular abnormalities and glaucoma has been deliberated for decades. Evidence for a role played by vascular factors in the pathogenesis of glaucomatous neurodegeneration has already been postulated. In addition, the fact that glaucoma causes both structural and functional changes to retinal blood vessels has been described. This review aims to investigate the published evidence concerning the relationship between vascular abnormalities and glaucoma, and to provide an overview of the "chicken or egg" dilemma in glaucoma. In this study, several biomarkers of glaucoma progression from a vascular perspective, including endothelin-1 (ET-1), nitric oxide, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), were identified and subsequently assessed for their potential as pharmacological intervention targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaosha Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (X.W.); (M.W.); (H.L.); (J.P.); (Y.F.)
| | - Maoren Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (X.W.); (M.W.); (H.L.); (J.P.); (Y.F.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany
- Department of Ophthalmology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Hanhan Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (X.W.); (M.W.); (H.L.); (J.P.); (Y.F.)
| | - Karl Mercieca
- Glaucoma Section, University Hospital Eye Clinic, 53127 Bonn, Germany;
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9WH, UK
| | - Julia Prinz
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (X.W.); (M.W.); (H.L.); (J.P.); (Y.F.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Yuan Feng
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (X.W.); (M.W.); (H.L.); (J.P.); (Y.F.)
| | - Verena Prokosch
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (X.W.); (M.W.); (H.L.); (J.P.); (Y.F.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany
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Intraocular Pressure-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction of Retinal Blood Vessels Is Persistent, but Does Not Trigger Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11101864. [PMID: 36290587 PMCID: PMC9598728 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11101864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Research has been conducted into vascular abnormalities in the pathogenesis of glaucoma, but conclusions remain controversial. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that retinal endothelial dysfunction induced by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) persists after IOP normalization, further triggering retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss. High intraocular pressure (HP) was induced in mice by episcleral vein occlusion (EVO). Retinal vascular function was measured via video microscopy in vitro. The IOP, RGC and their axons survival, levels of oxidative stress and inflammation as well as vascular pericytes coverage, were determined. EVO caused HP for two weeks, which returned to baseline afterwards. Mice with HP exhibited endothelial dysfunction in retinal arterioles, reduced density of RGC and their axons, and loss of pericytes in retinal arterioles. Notably, these values were similar to those of mice with recovered IOP (RP). Levels of oxidative stress and inflammation were increased in HP mice but went back to normal in the RP mice. Our data demonstrate that HP induces persistent endothelial dysfunction in retinal arterioles, which persists one month after RP. Oxidative stress, inflammation, and loss of pericytes appear to be involved in triggering vascular functional deficits. Our data also suggest that retinal endothelial dysfunction does not affect RGC and their axon survival.
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Yao Y, Wen Y, Li Y, Zhu J, Tian T, Zhang Q, Xiao D, Gao Y, Lin Y, Wei W, Cai X. Tetrahedral framework nucleic acids facilitate neurorestoration of facial nerves by activating the NGF/PI3K/AKT pathway. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:15598-15610. [PMID: 34529749 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr04619e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The facial nerve is a crucial nerve in the maxillofacial region and is vulnerable to damage. As a consequence of the complications during nerve restoration, existing remedies have certain limitations, thus the treatment of facial nerve injury is always a perplexing task for people. Regulation of Schwann cells is always the breakpoint of neurorestoration since Schwann cells count a great deal in injured nerve repair. In this study, we presented proof that tetrahedral framework nucleic acids (tFNAs), a kind of nucleic acid nanomaterial, were capable of regulating the neurorestorative pathway NGF/PI3 K/AKT, resulting in the activation of a series of cell behaviors related to injured nerve restoration such as proliferation and migration. In vivo experiments also proved that tFNAs enhanced the expressions of axon and myelin marker proteins, impelled histological recovery, promoted the efficient restoration of nerve conduction and muscle movement. Additionally, tFNAs possessed excellent biocompatibility and superior endocytosis ability. Thus, there is good potential for tFNAs to be applied in the therapy of facial nerve injury or even peripheral nerve injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangxue Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Yuting Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Yanjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Jianwei Zhu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, P. R. China
| | - Taoran Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Qi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Dexuan Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Yang Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Yunfeng Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China. .,College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Emergency, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China.
| | - Xiaoxiao Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
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Wareham LK, Calkins DJ. The Neurovascular Unit in Glaucomatous Neurodegeneration. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:452. [PMID: 32656207 PMCID: PMC7325980 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease of the visual system and leading cause of blindness worldwide. The disease is associated with sensitivity to intraocular pressure (IOP), which over a large range of magnitudes stresses retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons as they pass through the optic nerve head in forming the optic projection to the brain. Despite clinical efforts to lower IOP, which is the only modifiable risk factor for glaucoma, RGC degeneration and ensuing loss of vision often persist. A major contributor to failure of hypotensive regimens is the multifactorial nature of how IOP-dependent stress influences RGC physiology and structure. This stress is conveyed to the RGC axon through interactions with structural, glial, and vascular components in the nerve head and retina. These interactions promote pro-degenerative pathways involving biomechanical, metabolic, oxidative, inflammatory, immunological and vascular challenges to the microenvironment of the ganglion cell and its axon. Here, we focus on the contribution of vascular dysfunction and breakdown of neurovascular coupling in glaucoma. The vascular networks of the retina and optic nerve head have evolved complex mechanisms that help to maintain a continuous blood flow and supply of metabolites despite fluctuations in ocular perfusion pressure. In healthy tissue, autoregulation and neurovascular coupling enable blood flow to stay tightly controlled. In glaucoma patients evidence suggests these pathways are dysfunctional, thus highlighting a potential role for pathways involved in vascular dysfunction in progression and as targets for novel therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren K Wareham
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - David J Calkins
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
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