Min Ke

Background: Meibomian gland dysfunction is a leading cause of dry eye disease. Previous studies have established that the meibomian gland exists in a physiological hypoxic environment, with hypoxia-inducible factor 1α playing a regulatory role. However, the metabolic strategy of this gland remains unclear. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that glycolysis serves as an important metabolic pathway in meibomian gland epithelial cells in vivo and that these cells have an enhanced glycolytic phenotype during differentiation. Methods: We combined clinical imaging, tissue analysis, and in vitro experiments to test our hypothesis. Results: ¹⁸ F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography revealed significantly higher glucose uptake in human meibomian glands than in the orbicularis oculi muscle and surrounding subcutaneous connective tissues outside the tarsal plate, indicating substantial glycolytic activity in vivo. Immunofluorescence staining confirmed strong expression of glycolytic markers, including hypoxia-inducible factor 1α, glucose transporter type 1, hexokinase 2, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose−2,6-biphosphatase 3, and pyruvate kinase M2, and lactate dehydrogenase A, in both human and mouse meibomian gland tissues. In immortalized human meibomian gland epithelial cells, differentiation induced a metabolic shift favoring glycolysis with increased extracellular acidification rate, elevated lactate production, and upregulated glycolytic enzyme expression. Three-dimensional spheroid cultures further revealed state-dependent metabolic heterogeneity. Conclusion: The findings indicate that meibomian gland epithelial cells have a highly glycolytic phenotype in vivo and markedly enhanced glycolytic dependence during differentiation. These support their specialized secretory functions and adaptation to hypoxic microenvironments.

Background To investigate the immediate effects of standardized ocular acupoint massage on intraocular pressure (IOP) and conventional aqueous humor outflow pathway morphology in healthy young adults, and to differentiate acupoint stimulation from non-specific mechanical effects. Methods Fifty-eight healthy participants (23.10 ± 2.10 years) received, in randomized order, Standard Chinese Acupoint Eye Exercise (SCAEE) and Sham Acupoint Eye Exercise (SAEE). IOP was measured by rebound tonometry. SS-AS-OCT quantified Schlemm's canal (SC) and trabecular meshwork (TM) morphology. Autonomic indicators and optic disc blood flow were also monitored. Results IOP decreased in both groups, with greater reduction after SCAEE (from 16.10 ± 3.43 to 14.49 ± 3.15 mmHg, P < 0.001) than after SAEE (from 15.36 ± 3.18 to 14.67 ± 3.13 mmHg, P = 0.019). SCAEE significantly increased SC diameter/area and TM width in nasal and temporal regions (all P < 0.001) and decreased nasal TM thickness (P = 0.013). SAEE only slightly reduced temporal SC diameter (P = 0.046), with no other TM/SC changes. SCAEE also reduced pupil diameter and blood pressure (SBP P < 0.001; DBP P = 0.002), increased retinal thickness, and decreased choroidal thickness (P < 0.00556); SAEE did not. Conclusions Ocular acupoint massage immediately reduces IOP in healthy young adults, associated with targeted expansion of the primary aqueous outflow pathway (SC/TM) and autonomic modulation, effects superior to non-acupoint stimulation. This study provides initial imaging and physiological evidence supporting acupoint massage as a novel non-invasive adjunctive approach for IOP control. However, only acute changes were assessed; further research is needed on long-term efficacy and safety.

Electronic spin dynamics represent a fundamentally important yet largely unexplored state parameter of living cells, offering stable sensitivity to intracellular paramagnetic environments associated with cellular stress responses. However, how immune‐imposed intracellular stress evolves over time and relates to divergent single‐cell outcomes remains unclear, owing to the lack of continuous and nonconsumptive readouts. Here, we establish a long‐term bio‐spin readout based on nanodiamonds hosting nitrogen‐vacancy centers as inheritable intracellular spin reporters, enabling continuous spin relaxometry in living cells. By integrating population‐level ROS‐associated paramagnetic stress profiling with long‐term single‐cell tracking in Hela and A549 cancer cells during coculture with activated macrophages, we identify three characteristic oxidative‐stress trajectory patterns—remote immune stress, immune evasion, and apoptosis—whose distinct temporal dynamics cannot be resolved by endpoint assays alone. Longitudinal bio‐spin measurements reveal that immune pressure is encoded not only by instantaneous oxidative levels but also by the temporal accumulation and regulation of intracellular stress. An empirical bio‐spin transition range provides an operational reference for distinguishing recoverable stress responses from apoptosis‐associated trajectories, while characteristic completion times capture the interaction‐ and cell‐type‐dependent kinetics of stress evolution. Together, this work establishes bio‐spin dynamics for resolving immune‐imposed stress histories and their associations with divergent cellular outcomes in living systems.

GIG is the most common form of iatrogenic secondary open-angle glaucoma, yet it remains under-recognized despite its association with one of the most widely prescribed drug classes.1 Glucocorticoid...

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) affects 39.9 million people worldwide. Despite antiretroviral therapy, sight-threatening ocular complica

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes and can lead to severe visual impairment. Based on disease severity, DR is classified into no clinically apparent diabetic retinopathy (NDR), non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Although nearly all retinal cell types are involved in DR progression, the dominant cell populations and their pathophysiological changes at each stage remain unclear. By integrating bulk and single-cell transcriptomic data from human and mouse retinas, this study revealed the following: (1) In the NDR stage, photoreceptors exhibit significant changes in ribosomal pathways. (2) In the NPDR stage, endothelial cells and pericytes show marked transcriptional alterations, accompanied by enhanced LAMININ signaling in cell-cell communication. (3) At the PDR stage, neural and glial cells are extensively involved in disease progression, with notable changes in ANGPTL signaling. Additionally, this study observed DR-specific subtypes of endothelial cells and pericytes and potentially identifies gene signatures in macroglia cells that correlate with disease duration. The altered expression of several key genes in early diabetic retina was confirmed by qPCR. These findings may offer a comprehensive view of the cellular and molecular landscape underlying DR and may suggest potential targets.

Efficient near‐infrared (NIR) photothermal conversion is constrained by photon loss from scattering and attenuation in complex media. We present a scattering–absorption coupling strategy that pairs broadband photon scattering with plasmonic absorption to deliver supra‐additive heating. Nanodiamonds (ND) multiply scatter and trap NIR photons, elevating local photon density, while neighboring gold nanostars (AuNS) convert the enriched flux into heat with high efficiency. A multi‐scale framework links mechanism to outcome: finite‐difference time‐domain calculations quantify AuNS absorbed‐power gains in the proximity of ND, and Monte Carlo photon transport yields a depth‐dependent photon‐density enhancement that together predicts the measured temperature rises. In agarose phantoms and bacterial plates, ND increases NIR absorption and, when combined with AuNS, produces greater‐than‐additive heating. In cells, endogenous endocytosis brings ND and AuNS into lysosomal microenvironments that act as confined “hotspots” enabling low‐power ablation; the power density required for 50% cell kill (LD ₅₀ ) is reduced by a factor of 4.2 relative to AuNS alone. In in vivo experiments, AuNS and ND also exhibited a more potent photothermal therapeutic effect on mouse tumors. This principle provides a design rule for coupling scatterers and absorbers to overcome photon scarcity, offering a biocompatible route to efficient photothermal action with potential across oncology, anti‐infective therapy, and other light‐managed applications.

This study aims to conduct a systematic review to summarize the rare retinal toxicity associated with intravitreal ganciclovir injections. A retrospective