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Background: Optic nerve cells can be irreversibly damaged by common various causes. Unfortunately optic nerve and retinal ganglion cells have no regenerative capacity and undergo apoptosis in case of damage. In this study, our aim is to investigate the safety and efficacy of suprachoroidal umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs) implantation in patients with optic atrophy.Methods: This study enrolled 29 eyes of 23 patients with optic atrophy who were followed in the ophthalmology department of our hospital. BCVA, anterior segment, fundus examination, color photography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were carried out at each visit. Fundus fluorescein angiography and visual field examination were performed at the end of the first, third, sixth months, and 1 year follow-up.Results: After suprachoroidal UC-MSCs implantation there were statistically significant improvements in BCVA and VF results during 12 months follow-up (p< 0.05). When we evaluate the results of VF tests, the mean deviation (MD) value at baseline was −26.11 ± 8.36 (range −14.18 to −34.41). At the end of the first year it improved to −25.01 ± 8.73 (range −12.56 to −34.41) which was statistically significant (p< 0.05). When we evaluate the mean RNFL thickness measurements at baseline and at 12 month follow-up the results were 81.8 ± 24.9 μm and 76.6 ± 22.6 μm, respectively. There was not a significant difference between the mean values (p> 0.05).Conclusion: Stem cell treatment with suprachoroidal implantation of UCMSCs seems to be safe and effective in the treatment for optic nerve diseases that currently have no curative treatment options

Background:To investigate the highest nontoxic intravitreal dose of piperacillin/tazobactam in rabbits. Material and Methods:Forty New Zealand white albino rabbits were used in this study. The rabbits were divided into four equal groups (10 rabbits in each) and the right eyes were treated with 0.1 ml intravitreal injections of 1,000 µg piperacillin/tazobactam in group 1, 500 µg in group 2, 250 µg in group 3, and 100 µg in group 4. The left eyes served as controls and were injected with 0.1 ml of saline solution. Ganzfeld electroretinogram (ERG) was performed on all eyes before and after 4 weeks of intravitreal injections. Then, the rabbits were killed and the eyes were enucleated for histopathological evaluation of the retina. Retinal sections were evaluated by morphometric analyses on cell counts of ganglion cell layer and thickness of the various retinal layers. Results:Baseline ERGs were similar among the groups (p > 0.05). After 4 weeks of injection, there were a reduction of the b-wave amplitude and extension of the b-wave implicit time in photopic and scotopic ERGs in group 1 and group 2 when compared with controls (for each, p < 0.001). Intravitreal injection of 100 and 250 µg piperacillin/tazobactam did not cause any deterioration of the b-wave of ERGs throughout the follow-up period of 4 weeks (for each, p > 0.05). After morphometric analysis of retinal sections in all groups, there were no statistically significant differences in the mean number of surviving ganglion cells, thickness of the whole retina and the inner plexiform layer compared with controls (p > 0.05). Conclusion:250 µg/0.1 ml piperacillin/tazobactam is the highest nontoxic dose to the normal retinas of adult albino rabbits as intravitreal injection. Piperacillin/tazobactam may be a new, potentially important drug in the treatment of endophthalmitis as it has a broad antimicrobial spectrum.

Twelve patients with Henoch-Schönlein purpura, aged 6–14 years (mean 10.3 years), presenting with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) were investigated prospectively. Analysis of the initial clinical features revealed: oedema (8 patients), hypertension (7 patients), gross haematuria (11 patients), oliguria (5 patients) and a decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (<40 ml/min per 1.73 m2, 8 patients). Renal biopsies were available in 9 patients and revealed focal necrotising and a fibroepithelial type of crescentic glomerulonephritis (with 60%–90% crescent formation). The remaining 3 patients fulfilled the clinical criteria of RPGN. Two patients who were in the acute stage required peritoneal dialysis for a period of 2 weeks. The treatment protocol in all patients consisted of intravenous pulse methylprednisolone (3 days), oral cyclophosphamide (2 months), oral dipyridamole (6 months) and oral prednisolone (3 months). At the end of triple therapy, GFR returned to normal in all but 1 patient. During a follow-up period of 9–39 months, 7 patients achieved complete remission, while 4 patients showed partial remission, 3 of whom had persistent proteinuria and haematuria and 1 microscopic haematuria only. One patient had persistent nephropathy with decreased GFR and macroscopic haematuria and nephrotic-range proteinuria. His renal biopsy, performed 30 months after the onset of the disease, showed chronic diffuse sclerosing glomerulonephritis and intratubular severe IgA deposition. Although our patient group was small, this type of intensive treatment appears to be effective; further studies are needed.

Modification of recombinant proteins using conjugation techniques is a useful and easy tool to improve the stability and pharmacokinetic properties of pharmaceutical protein products. In this study, we prepared a new conjugate by using natural oligopolysaccharides via an enzymatic method. Microbial transglutaminase was used for the enzymatic conjugation of filgrastim with hydrolysates of chitosan, which is a natural polymer in the polysaccharide structure. Conjugate formation and physicochemical properties of the modified filgrastim were demonstrated analytically. The results indicated that the conjugates protected the active substance filgrastim, both at 5 °C ± 3 °C and 25 °C ± 2 °C for four months. The in vitrobioactivity of the conjugate solution on NFS-60 cells was compared with that of the commercial reference filgrastim solution, and the relative potency was observed to be higher than that of the reference.