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Objective This study investigated the role of latent-transforming growth factor β-binding protein 2 (LTBP-2) in primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) by analysing its expression and the ultrastructure of the anterior lens capsule in PACG patients with age-related cataract (ARC).Methods Tissue samples of the anterior lens capsule were collected from patients undergoing cataract phacoemulsification surgery. Patients in the experimental group were diagnosed with primary angle-closure (PAC) combined with ARC (PAC+ARC) and PACG combined with ARC (PACG+ARC). The control group consisted of patients with only ARC. The techniques used included scanning electron microscopy, real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blotting and immunofluorescence.Results Ultrastructural analysis revealed disordered connections in PAC+ARC, loose connections in PACG+ARC and well-ordered connections in ARC. RT-qPCR and western blotting showed significantly lower LTBP-2 mRNA and protein expression in PAC+ARC and PACG+ARC than in ARC, with PAC+ARC having the lowest levels. Immunofluorescence confirmed these findings, showing varying LTBP-2 fluorescence intensities across groups.Conclusion The study identified ultrastructural changes in the anterior lens capsules in PACG accompanied by reduced LTBP-2 expression, especially in PAC+ARC patients. This suggests a potential role for LTBP-2 in PACG development, warranting further investigation.

BackgroundLarge-scale prospective cohort studies on diabetic foot ulcers risk factor screening in China are limited. Therefore, this prospective cohort study aimed to explore the predictive risk factors for diabetic foot ulcers to provide clinicians with concise and effective clinical indicators for identifying a high-risk diabetic foot and guiding the prevention of diabetic foot ulcers.MethodsPatients with diabetes who visited the Department of Endocrinology of Peking University First Hospital from October 2017 to December 2018 were selected as research participants by convenience sampling. A total of 968 patients were included. After enrollment, a dedicated person collected and recorded all baseline data. A dedicated telephone follow-up was conducted every 12–24 months to evaluate whether the endpoint event had occurred. All patients were followed up for an average of 61 (57–71) months, with 95% of them followed up for more than 60 months. According to the occurrence of endpoint events, they were divided into the DFU and non-DFU groups. The data between the two groups were analyzed using independent-sample t-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and chi square test. We used univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to analyze the factors that affected the occurrence of diabetic foot ulcers.Results and conclusionsAfter the 5-year follow-up, the incidence of diabetic foot was 25.83%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that body mass index (odds ratio: 1.046; 95% confidence interval: 1.001–1.093), abnormal pinprick sensation (odds ratio: 4.138; 95% confidence interval: 1.292–13.255), history of fungal foot infection (odds ratio: 2.287; 95% confidence interval: 1.517–3.448), abnormal 128-Hz tuning fork test (odds ratio: 2.628; 95% confidence interval: 1.098–6.294), and HbA1c≥ 8% (odds ratio: 1.522; 95% confidence interval: 1.014–2.284) were independent predictors of diabetic foot. Our study highlights clinically relevant indicators that may help to prevent the occurrence of diabetic foot and guide timely interventions.

Citrus spp. represent an economically important fruit tree crop worldwide. However, molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between citrus and the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides remain largely unexplored. In this study, we analyzed the physiological and transcriptomic changes in Citrus sinensis at different stages of incubation with C. gloeosporioides. The results indicated that C. gloeosporioides infection rapidly triggered necrosis in the epicarp of C. sinensis fruits, decreased the total flavonoid contents, and suppressed the activity of catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase enzymes. Upon inoculation with C. gloeosporioides, there were 4600 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with 1754 down-regulated and 2846 up-regulated after six hours, while there were only 580 DEGs with 185 down-regulated and 395 up-regulated between six and twelve-hours post-inoculation. Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis indicated that the DEGs, which exhibited consistent up-regulation, were associated with metabolic processes and stress responses. Through Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis, 11 key genes have been identified that could potentially play a role in the transcriptional regulation of this process, including the transcription factor bHLH189. Furthermore, the infection of C. gloeosporioides had a notable effect on both the flavonoid metabolism and the metabolic pathways related to reactive oxygen species. Our findings help to understand the interaction between citrus and C. gloeosporioides and unveil how new insights into how C. gloeosporioides circumvents citrus defense mechanisms.

Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the main diseases that causes blindness in humans, and the number of cases is increasing yearly. However, effective treatments are unavailable, and arbutin (ARB) has been reported to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging effects in other age-related diseases. However, whether ARB can be used to treat dry AMD remains unknown. To explore the therapeutic potential and molecular mechanism of arbutin in the treatment of dry AMD. MTT assays, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production assays, flow cytometry assays, qPCR and western blotting were used to assess the impact of ARB on human RPECs induced by H2O2. A transcriptome sequencing assay was used to further explore how ARB acts on human RPECs treated with H2O2. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) assays were used to observe the impact of ARB on mouse retina induced by sodium iodate. ARB counteracted the H2O2-induced reduction in human RPECs viability, ARB reversed H2O2-induced cellular ROS production by increasing the expression of antioxidant-related genes and proteins, ARB also reversed H2O2-induced cell apoptosis by altering the expression of apoptosis-related genes and proteins. Transcriptome sequencing and western blotting showed that ARB reduced ERK1/2 and P-38 phosphorylation to prevent H2O2-induced oxidation damage. The in vivo experiments demonstrated that ARB protected against retinal morphology injury in mice, increased serum T-AOC levels and increased antioxidant oxidase gene expression levels in the mouse retina induced by sodium iodate. We concluded that ARB reversed the H2O2-induced decrease in human RPECs viability through the inhibition of ROS production and apoptosis. The ERK1/2 and P38 MAPK signaling pathways may mediate this process. ARB maintained retinal morphology, increased serum T-AOC level and improved the expression of antioxidant oxidase genes in mice.

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the preventive and therapeutic potential of salvianolic acid B in inhibiting senile cataracts through network pharmacology and experimental validation. Methods; Disease-related genes were obtained from the DisGeNET and Gene Cards databases. Drug targets were identified from the Swiss Target Prediction and Pharm Mapper databases, shared genes were identified via the Venny website, links between genes were identified via a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, and GO and KEGG analyses were subsequently performed via R software. The key genes were identified via Cytoscape software, and their binding with Sal-B was demonstrated by molecular docking. Then, the results were verified by cell experiments. A CCK-8 assay was used to assess the activity of human LECs with or without H2O2 or Sal-B treatment, and the cell apoptosis rate of each group was determined by flow cytometry. The gene expression levels of caspase 3, TNF-α and MMP-9 in human LECs treated with or without H2O2 or Sal-B were determined by qPCR. Results; A total of 705 and 152 cataract-related genes and salvianolic acid B-related genes, respectively, were identified, with 37 shared genes. The PPI results showed that MMP9, IL-2, JUN, TNF-α and caspase 3 were the core genes. GO data analysis revealed that the biological process, cell component and molecular function terms were most enriched in the categories “apoptosis progress”, “cytosol” and “protein binding”. Through KEGG enrichment analysis, we found that the core genes were related to the IL-17 and TNF signalling pathways. Cytoscape results showed that MMP9, TNF-α and caspase 3 were the key genes, and molecular docking showed that the drugs interacted well with the target molecules. The experimental results showed that salvianolic acid B inhibited H2O2-induced decreases in LEC activity and apoptosis and inhibited the gene expression of MMP9, TNF-α and caspase 3.Conclusion; Network pharmacology and molecular docking results showed that salvianolic acid B has the potential to prevent and treat senile cataracts. The experimental results verified the finding that salvianolic acid B can inhibit the decrease in LEC activity and apoptosis induced by H2O2 and verified the expression of the key molecules MMP9, TNF-α and caspase 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]