The Corneal Changes in Diabetic Patients

Diabetes mellitus (DM) represents a systemic disorder which afects different organs. Ocular complications of the DM are the worldwide leading cause of blindness. The most common complications are diabetic retinopathy, diabetic cataract, neovascular glaucoma. Recently many investigations point out that DM can cause comlications at ocular surface as well. Condition such as decreased corneal sensitivity, dry eye or neurotrophic corneal ulceraction are the main clinical manifestations of the diabetic keratopathy (DK). Untreated, these conditions can lead to serious visual acuity decrease. Pathological processes, based on chronic inflammation, due to chronic hyperglycemia, are the main step in the process of DK development. Adequate treatment of the main disease - DM is an imperative in maintaining the healthy cornea without subjective sensations of diabetic patients.

Effects of Binahong (Anredera cordifolia (Tenore) Steenis) Extracts on the Levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA) in Cataract Goat Lenses

Cataracts are one of the most causes of blindness in the world. Oxidative stress can form pathological conditions such as cataracts. This oxidative stress ability can be measured by the malondialdehyde (MDA) biomarker. Binahong leaves (Anredera cordifolia (Tenore) Steenis) are native plants from Indonesia that are used to treat various diseases including cataract treatment. Binahong leaf (Anredera cordifolia (Tenore) Steenis) has a high amount of flavonoids and is rich in antioxidants that can be used to treat cataracts. Objective. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of binahong leaf extract on the levels of MDA in a goat lens with cataract-induced material. Method. As many as possible, 40 goat eye lenses were divided into several groups, namely, group I normal lenses as controls (glucose 5.5 mM), group II lenses were cataract induced with glucose concentration of 55 mM, group III lenses with glucose 55 mM + binahong leaf extract (100 μg/ml), group IV lens with glucose 55 mM + binahong leaf extract (200 μg/ml), and group V lens with glucose 55 mM + quercetin (positive control). Biochemical parameters measured in the lens homogenate are malondialdehyde lens morphology in all groups’ observations and comparisons made. Results. The results of the study found that the lens group with the addition of binahong extract showed more results transparency compared to lens groups induced by glucose concentrations of 55 mM). This shows that the diabetic cataract group experienced high oxidative stress due to the accumulation of sorbitol compounds derived from glucose which caused turbidity in the goat eye lens and increased levels of lens MDA. Binahong levels at concentrations of 100 or 200 can inhibit MDA production. Conclusion. Binahong (Anredera cordifolia (Tenore) Steenis) extract has the ability to inhibit the production of MDA levels. In glucose-induced goat lenses, binahong extract and quercetin show antioxidant and anticataract properties.

The state of corneal endothelial cells in the dynamics of surgical treatment of age-related and diabetic cataracts

Purpose. To assess the state of the corneal endothelium in patients with diabetic and immature age - related cataracts before and in the long term after phacoemulsification. Material and methods. There were 25 patients (43 eyes) under observation in total. The average age is 66.4±10.1 years. There were 12 men and 13 women among the surveyed. The average time after cataract phacoemulsification was 5.6±1.7 years. There were 2 groups of patients: group I (main) included 10 patients (16 eyes) with diabetic cataract, group 2 (control) consisted of 15 patients (27 eyes) with immature senile cataract (ISC) without diabetes. Before and after phacoemulsification the central corneal thickness (CCT), as well as polymegatism, pleomorphism, and corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) were studied using an EM-2000 endothelial microscope (Nidek, Japan). Results. In the long-term period after cataract phacoemulsification there was decreasing trend in the corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) as in patients operated on for immature senile and especially diabetic cataracts (by 1.5 times). The initial data of ECD in patients with diabetic cataract in comparison with ISC were lower although not significantly. There was also a decreasing trend in the percentage of hexaganality and the number of normal endothelial cells, as well as an increase in the coefficient of their polymegatism after phacoemulsification in patients with DM in comparison with patients without it. Conclusion. The study showed that phacoemulsification of diabetic cataracts is associated with more pronounced damage to the corneal endothelium when compared with the ISC group. During phacoemulsification with IOL implantation, especially in patients with diabetic cataracts, you should pay attention to the initially possible smaller ECD and take this circumstance into account when performing phacoemulsification. Key words: diabetic cataract, surgical treatment, phacoemulsification, endothelial microscopy, corneal endothelial cells.

LncRNA XIST knockdown suppresses cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis in diabetic cataract via miR-34a/SMAD2 axis

Emerging evidence has manifested that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) played critical roles in diabetes. The present research aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of XIST on proliferation, migration and apoptosis in diabetic cataract (DC). In the present study, lens epithelial cells (SRA01/04) were treated by high glucose (HG). The levels of XIST, miR-34a and SMAD2 were examined by RT-qPCR. MTT, transwell, wound healing and TUNEL assays were employed to examine cell proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis. The interaction between miR-34a and XIST or SMAD2 was verified by luciferase reporter assay. It was found that XIST expression was increased and miR-34a level was decreased in DC tissues and HG-induced SRA01/04 cells. XIST knockdown or miR-34a addition attenuated cell proliferation and migration, and induced apoptosis in SRA01/04 cells under HG. XIST targeted miR-34a and regulated DC progression via miR-34a. SMAD2 was a target gene of miR-34a and was positively modulated by XIST. SMAD2 addition accelerated cell proliferation, migration and inhibited the apoptosis in HG-stimulated SRA01/04 cells, which were abrogated by XIST depletion. In conclusion, XIST facilitated the proliferation, migration and invasion, and inhibited the apoptosis via miR-34a/SMAD2 axis in DC.