PURPOSE Survivin (Birc5) is the smallest member of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) protein family, which regulates the cell cycle/apoptosis balance. The purpose of this study was to examine Survivin expression in the embryonic chick lens, in chick lens epithelial cell cultures, and in the postnatal mouse lens. METHODS Survivin expression was examined using a combination of quantitative real-...

PURPOSE To examine the expression and function of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and other growth factor-cytokine-receptor systems in lens epithelial cells. METHODS Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Northern blot analysis were used to examine the expression of messenger RNAs in primary cultured rabbit ...

PURPOSE Methionine-sulfoxide reductases are unique, in that their ability to repair oxidized proteins and MsrA, which reduces S-methionine sulfoxide, can protect lens cells against oxidative stress damage. To date, the roles of MsrB1, -B2 and -B3 which reduce R-methionine sulfoxide have not been established for any mammalian system. The present study was undertaken to identify those MsrBs expre...

Cataracts are opacities within the lens that may affect a small portion of the lens or the entire lens. Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness in dogs. They may be due to hereditary factors, metabolic diseases, inflammation, or other causes. A thorough ophthalmic and physical examination, complete blood cell count, biochemical evaluation, electroretinography, and ocular ultrasonography shou...

Despite the importance of crystalline lens power in ocular development, schematic refractive index values used to calculate lens power have been validated for children. We measured refractive error and ocular component dimensions in 519 schoolchildren, calculating lens power using phakometrically measured lens radii and three different refractive index profiles: (1) Gullstrand-Emsley schematic ...

In lens cataract, the clouding change in the lens leads to a decline of transparency of a part of the lens. There are three types of senile cataract: cortical cataract, nuclear cataract, and posterior/anterior sub-capsular cataract. The cataract that develops in most old people is cortical cataract. The clouding change in senile cortical cataract begins from the edge of the lens and develops pr...

PURPOSE Mutation of the autophagy gene FYVE (named after the four cysteine-rich proteins: Fab 1 [yeast orthologue of PIKfyve], YOTB, Vac 1 [vesicle transport protein], and EEA1) and coiled coil containing 1 (fyco1) causes human cataract suggesting a role for autophagy in lens function. Here, we analyzed the range and spatial expression patterns of lens autophagy genes and we evaluated whether a...

PURPOSE To investigate whether carrying out various interventions part way through the day influences comfort in symptomatic daily disposable (DD) contact lens wearers. METHODS A subject-masked, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted in thirty symptomatic soft lens wearers who wore their habitual DD contact lenses bilaterally for 12 h on two separate days. Five hours after lens a...

INTRODUCTION We have developed a suction-assisted one-piece self-retaining wide-angle contact lens for vitrectomy. DESIGN The wide-angle contact lens is a one-piece lens without the case, making it lightweight. The contact inferior surface is enhanced by four quadrant plate extensions. A metal housing is attached to the side of the plate extension with an opening at the inferior surface. A ne...