Retinoids mediate their biological effect by interacting with specific nuclear receptors. Of the several known RAR (retinoic acid receptor) subtypes, RAR-beta is of particular interest, since its expression is silenced in many cancers and it is believed to be a tumour suppressor. Specific ligands of RAR-beta can potentially be used in anti-cancer therapy. In the present study, we have investiga...

PURPOSE To identify the expression of junctional adhesion molecule-C (JAM-C) in choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and evaluate the effect of JAM-C targeting on CNV formation and on cellular functions relevant to CNV in vitro, such as macrophage transmigration, human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cell migration, and monolayer RPE permeability. METHODS JAM-C expression in CNV was analyzed ...

PURPOSE To investigate the signal transduction mechanisms involved in the cell death of human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells after their exposure to either hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) or tri-butyl hydroxperoxide (tBH). METHODS Cultured human RPE (hRPE) cells were treated with the chemical oxidants tBH and H(2)O(2) as well as with the synthetic ceramide analogs C(2), C(6), and dihydro...

PURPOSE To determine the signal mediators involved in glycated human serum albumin (GHSA) stimulation of interleukin (IL)-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 secretion in human retinal pigment epithelium (hRPE) cells. METHODS hRPE cells were stimulated by GHSA in the presence or absence of a series of kinase inhibitors. The induced IL-8 and MCP-1 mRNA and proteins were determined by re...

PURPOSE The goal of this study was to determine the potential damage to the human retina that may occur from weightlessness during space flight using simulated microgravity. METHODS Human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cells were cultured for 24 h in a National Aeronautics and Space Administration-designed rotating wall bioreactor vessel to mimic the microgravity environment of space. Sing...

PURPOSE To characterize glutathione (GSH) transport by cultured human retinal pigment epithelial (HRPE) cells. METHODS Cultured HRPE cells were pretreated with acivicin for GSH efflux and with buthionine sulfoximine for GSH uptake to prevent the breakdown and resynthesis of GSH. Efflux was measured by the linear rate of accumulation of GSH in the supernatant; uptake was measured using [35S] G...

PURPOSE Cyclooxygenases (COX) orchestrate a variety of homeostatic processes and participate in various pathophysiological conditions. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell performs a variety of regulatory functions within the retina. The conditions under which COX-1 and COX-2 are expressed and upregulated in human RPE (HRPE) cells were determined. METHODS COX gene expression was examined...

The development of primary human retinal pigmented epithelium (hRPE) for clinical transplantation purposes on biodegradable scaffolds is indispensable. results the subretinal implantation hRPE cells nanofibrous membranes in minipigs are hereby reported. hRPEs were collected from cadaver donor eyes and cultivated ultrathin carriers prepared via electrospinning poly(L-lactide-co-DL-lactide) (PDLL...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to elucidate in vitro the effect of elevated glucose on glucose uptake in the cells comprising the inner and outer blood-retinal barriers: human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) and human retinal vascular endothelial (hRVE) cells. METHODS Primary cultures of hRPE and hRVE cells grown in 5.5 or 22 mM glucose or in 22 mM mannitol were used to measure the r...

PURPOSE Premature infants undergoing intensive care are highly vulnerable to amino acid deprivation. Supplementation of glutamine or arginine has resulted in beneficial effects in human neonates. This study was conducted to examine the effect of the dipeptide arginyl-glutamine (Arg-Gln) on vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) levels in primary human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) c...