Curcuma-Based Nutritional Supplement in Patients with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

To investigate effectiveness and safety of a curcumin-based nutritional supplement in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We conducted a controlled retrospective study, reviewing the medical records of patients referred to the Eye Center, Humanitas Hospital, Bergamo due to neovascular AMD and treated with antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) intravitreal injections (IVIs) and oral administration of a curcumin-based nutritional supplement vehiculated by enterosoma-I^®. We retrospectively collected data of 18 naive patients who received IVI and daily oral nutritional supplement and 24 naive age-matched controls with the same diagnosis undergoing only IVI. All patients underwent a loading-phase of one-per-month IVI for 3 months and then received IVI pro re nata. Median best-corrected visual acuity was significantly improved in treated patients compared with controls (P < .05), while there was no statistical difference in central macular thickness between groups (P > .05). The total number of injections (tIVI) was significantly (P < .05) reduced in the treated group compared with controls. The tIVI in treated group ranged from 3 to 5 with a median of 4 while control group received a tIVI that ranged between 6 and 7 with a median of 7. Treatment with curcumin-based nutritional supplement was safe and effective. Curcumin is a promising adjuvant of anti-VEGF treatment, improves functional outcomes, and prolongs duration.

Facing COVID-19 in Ophthalmology Department

Purpose: To provide useful guidelines, targeted at ophthalmology professionals, to minimize COVID-19 infection of both health-care workers and patients.Methods: In this review we present updated literature merged with our experience from hospitals in Bergamo, the epicenter of the COVID-19 European outbreak.Results: Non-pharmaceutical interventions, hygienic recommendations and personal protective equipment to contain viral spread as well as a suggested risk assessment for postponement of non-urgent cases should be applied in ophthalmologist activity. A triage for ophthalmic outpatient clinic is mandatory.Conclusion: Ophthalmology practice should be reorganized in order to face COVID-19.

Effect of preservative-free tafluprost on keratocytes, sub-basal nerves, and endothelium: a single-blind one-year confocal study on naïve or treated glaucoma and hypertensive patients versus a control group

PURPOSE

To record the impact of preservative-free Tafluprost on corneal status examined by in vivo confocal microscopy.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study on consecutive naïve or previously treated patients with a new prescription of preservative-free Tafluprost. All subjects underwent a complete ophthalmic examination [comprehensive of intraocular pressure (IOP) and central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements], and an in vivo corneal confocal microscopy evaluation, at baseline and 12 months later. A healthy control group was selected and examined at the same time.

RESULTS

Seventy-five subjects (16 controls, 20 naïve, and 39 treated) were enrolled. At baseline, IOP was 16 (13.8-18.6), 21.5 (18-23.7), and 18 (16-22) mmHg, (P=0.01); and CCT did not differ among the groups (P=0.25). Epithelial cells, keratocyte activation, a number of sub-basal nerves, and the grade of nerve tortuosity were similar (P=0.233, 0.11, 0.417, and 0.05, respectively), in naïve and controls, while previously treated patients had significantly less epithelial cells and sub-basal corneal nerves (P<0.0001), keratocyte activation, increased number of bead-like formations, and nerve tortuosity (P<0.0001). At month 12, IOP decreased in both patient groups (P<0.001); CCT did not change. Previously treated patients showed an improvement in confocal parameters: increased epithelial cells (P=0.0006), reduced keratocyte activation (P=0.003), increased number of corneal nerves (P=0.0004), decreased number of bead-like formations (P=0.0013), and nerve tortuosity (P=0.0008). Naïve patients did not show significant changes.

CONCLUSION

The study confirmed the efficacy of preservative-free Tafluprost in reducing IOP, and underlined the drug's safety in naïve glaucoma patients with regard to corneal status. In the balance between efficacy and tolerability, formulations with low cytotoxicity may ensure fewer side effects, with higher tolerability and better compliance.

Overexpression of H ferritin and up-regulation of iron regulatory protein genes during differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes

The role of iron-dependent oxidative metabolism in protecting the oxidable substrates contained in mature adipocytes is still unclear. Because differentiation increases ferritin formation in several cell types, thereby leading to an accumulation of H-rich isoferritins, we investigated whether differentiation affects iron metabolism in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. To this aim, we evaluated the expression of the genes coding for the H and L ferritin subunits and for cytoplasmic iron regulatory protein (IRP) during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells in adipocytes induced by the addition of isobutylmethylxanthine, insulin, and dexamethasone. Differentiation enhanced ferritin formation and caused overexpression of the H subunit, thus altering the H/L subunit ratio. Northern blot analysis showed increased levels of H subunit mRNA. A gel retardation assay of cytoplasmic extract from differentiated cells, using an iron-responsive element as a probe, revealed enhanced an RNA binding capacity of IRP1, which correlated with the increase of IRP1 mRNA. The observed correlation between differentiation and iron metabolism in adipocytes suggests that an accumulation of H-rich isoferritin may limit the toxicity of iron in adipose tissue, thus exerting an antioxidant function.

The type and the localization of cAMP-dependent protein kinase regulate transmission of cAMP signals to the nucleus in cortical and cerebellar granule cells

cAMP signals are received and transmitted by multiple isoforms of cAMP-dependent protein kinases, typically determined by their specific regulatory subunits. In the brain the major regulatory isoform RIIbeta and the RII-anchor protein, AKAP150 (rat) or 75 (bovine), are differentially expressed. Cortical neurons express RIIbeta and AKAP75; conversely, granule cerebellar cells express predominantly RIalpha and RIIalpha. Cortical neurons accumulate PKA catalytic subunit and phosphorylated cAMP responsive element binding protein very efficiently into nuclei upon cAMP induction, whereas granule cerebellar cells fail to do so. Down-regulation of RIIbeta synthesis by antisense oligonucleotides inhibited cAMP-induced nuclear signaling in cortical neurons. Expression in cerebellar granule cells of RIIbeta and AKAP75 genes by microinjection of specific expression vectors, markedly stimulated cAMP-induced transcription of the lacZ gene driven by a cAMP-responsive element promoter. These data indicate that the composition of PKA in cortical and granule cells underlies the differential ability of these cells to transmit cAMP signals to the nucleus.

Different domains cooperate to target the human ribosomal L7a protein to the nucleus and to the nucleoli

The human ribosomal protein L7a is a component of the major ribosomal subunit. We transiently expressed in HeLa cells L7a-beta-galactosidase fusion proteins and studied their subcellular localization by indirect immunofluorescence staining with anti-beta-galactosidase antibodies. We have identified three distinct domains responsible for the nuclear targeting of the protein: domain I, amino acids 23-51; domain II, amino acids 52-100; domain III, amino acids 101-220, each of which contains at least one nuclear localization signal (NLS). Through subcellular localization analysis of deletion mutants of L7a-beta-galactosidase chimeras, we demonstrate that domain II plays a special role because it is necessary, although not sufficient, to target the chimeric beta-galactosidase to the nucleoli. In fact, we demonstrate that the nucleolar targeting process requires the presence of domain II plus an additional basic domain that can be represented by an NLS or a basic stretch of amino acids without NLS activity. Thus, when multiple NLS are present, each NLS exerts distinct functions. Domain II drives nucleolar accumulation of a reporter protein with the cooperative action of a short basic amino acid sequence, suggesting a mechanism requiring protein-protein or protein-nucleic acid interactions.