To determine whether paeonol (Pae), a naturally occurring phenolic compound, can serve as an effective pharmacological inhibitor of posterior capsular opacification (PCO).

A rat model of cataract surgery—induced PCO was established, and Pae was administered via anterior chamber injection to evaluate its preventive effect on capsular opacification and fibrotic remodeling. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to assess epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)—related changes in lens epithelial cells (LECs). Ex vivo lens capsule cultures were employed to examine the expression of Vimentin and Zonula Occludens-1 (ZO-1) by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. In the human LEC line SRA01/04, EMT marker expression at both mRNA and protein levels was analyzed following transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGF-β2) stimulation, with Pae treatment. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to investigate the effect of Pae on TGF-β/Smad signaling and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. Molecular docking was performed to predict Pae–AMPK binding, and rescue experiments with AMPK inhibition were conducted to validate the mechanistic pathway.

Pae significantly reduced capsular opacification and fibrotic remodeling in the rat PCO model compared with controls. In LECs, Pae markedly suppressed TGF-β2–induced EMT, evidenced by decreased expression of mesenchymal markers, such as Vimentin, Fibronectin, Collagen 1A1, α-SMA and preserved epithelial junctional protein ZO-1. Mechanistically, Pae was predicted to directly interact with the catalytic pocket of AMPK, which was experimentally confirmed by enhanced AMPK phosphorylation and nuclear translocation (P<0.05). This activation disrupted canonical TGF-β/Smad signaling, leading to suppression of EMT. Rescue experiments using AMPK inhibition abrogated the anti-EMT effect of Pae, further validating the AMPK-dependent mechanism.

Pae exerts a potent inhibitory effect on PCO formation by blocking EMT of LECs through direct activation of AMPK and subsequent disruption of TGF-β/Smad signaling.

To elucidate causal pathways between oxidative biomarkers and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) phenotypes.

A bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analytical protocol was implemented, which utilized genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics derived from the IEU OpenGWAS repositories. The investigation focused on 11 oxidative stress markers and AMD phenotypes, encompassing both wet and dry subtypes. The MR methodology incorporated inverse-variance weighted (IVW) calculations, MR-Egger statistical regression, weighted median approximation, and weighted mode assessments to estimate causative relationships. Sensitivity evaluations were conducted to verify result robustness and identify potential pleiotropy.

Genetically predicted elevated catalase (CAT) concentrations demonstrated significant associations with heightened risks of overall AMD (IVW OR=1.084, 95%CI: 1.021-1.151, P=0.008) and wet AMD phenotype (IVW OR=1.113, 95%CI: 1.047-1.247, P=0.007). Higher genetically predicted albumin concentrations corresponded with reduced AMD risk (IVW OR=0.827, 95%CI: 0.715-0.957, P=0.013) but increased wet AMD risk (IVW OR=1.229, 95%CI: 1.036-1.458, P=0.018). Reverse MR analysis revealed that genetically predicted dry AMD exhibited significant association with reduced albumin levels (IVW OR=0.987, 95%CI: 0.979-0.996, P=0.004), while wet AMD corresponded with decreased total bilirubin (TBIL) and paraoxonase (PON) activity.

The results offer strong support for a causal link between markers of oxidative stress and the development of AMD, indicating that oxidative processes play a role in driving the disease progression.

To analysis of research hotspots and trends on the application of premium intraocular lens (PIOLs) in the past 2 decades.

The literature search was performed on the Web of Science and included PIOLs studies published between January 2000 and December 2022. The retrieved literature was collated and analyzed by R-tool’s Bibliometrix package, CitNetExplorer, CiteSpace and other software.

A total of 1801 articles about PIOLs were obtained, most of which were published in Spain and the United States. The organization that published the most articles was the University of Valencia in Spain. Alió JL, and Montés-Micó R, from Spain were the most influential authors in this field. The Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and Journal of Refractive Surgery were the core journals for this field; the top 10 cited articles mainly focus on postoperative satisfaction with multifocal intraocular lens (IOLs) and postoperative results of toric IOLs. Through the keyword analysis, we found that trifocal IOLs, astigmatism and extended depth of focus (EDoF) IOLs are the most discussed topics at present, and the importance of astigmatism and the clinical application of the new generation of PIOLs are the emerging research trends.

Bibliometric analysis can effectively help to identify multilevel concerns in PIOLs research and the prevailing research trends in the realm of PIOLs encompass the adoption of EDoF IOLs, trifocal IOLs, and their respective Toric models.

To conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) research from 2002 to 2022, identifying key contributing countries, institutions, authors, journals, and research hotspots to inform future research directions.

Publications related to AMD were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database for the period January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2022. The search was limited to English-language articles and reviews. Bibliometric analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2021 for data management and annual publication analysis. Visualization and network analyses were conducted using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the Bibliometrix package in R. Collaboration networks among countries, institutions, authors, and journals were mapped. Keywords were analyzed for co-occurrence to identify research hotspots. Metrics such as H-index, total link strength (TLS), and citation counts were used to assess impact.

A total of 16715 publications were analyzed, showing a consistent increase in AMD research output over the past 20y, peaking at 1445 publications in 2021. The United States was the leading contributor with 31.8% of total publications, followed by China and the United Kingdom. The University of Melbourne emerged as the most productive institution with the highest TLS, indicating strong international collaborations. Professor Frank G. Holz was identified as the most influential author based on H-index and publication count. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science was the most prolific journal and had the highest citation impact. Keyword co-occurrence analysis revealed four main research clusters: pathogenesis, therapy, epidemiology, and diagnosis. Emerging research hotspots included anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies, optical coherence tomography angiography, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications in diagnosis.

The bibliometric analysis highlights significant growth and collaborative efforts in AMD research globally. Key contributors have advanced understanding in pathogenesis, therapeutic strategies, epidemiology, and diagnostic technologies. Future research should focus on interdisciplinary collaborations, novel therapeutic targets, personalized medicine, and technological innovations such as AI to effectively address the challenges posed by AMD.