OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the degree of anterior capsule opacification (ACO) in human eyes obtained postmortem containing various rigid and foldable posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC-IOL) designs and compare the findings with clinical sequelae of capsular shrinkage.

DESIGN: Comparative autopsy tissue study with clinicopathologic correlations.

MATERIALS: Three hundred formalin-fixed human eyes containing the following PC-IOL styles were analyzed: (1) one-piece polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) optic-PMMA haptic (n = 50), one-piece silicone-plate IOL, with large (2) or small (3) fixation holes (n = 35), (4) three-piece PMMA optic-Prolene haptic (n = 50), (5) three-piece acrylic optic-PMMA haptic (n = 55), three-piece silicone optic with PMMA (6) or polyimide (7) haptics (n = 30), and (8) three-piece silicone optic-Prolene haptic (n = 80) lenses.

TESTING: The eyes were sectioned in the equatorial plane for gross examination of the capsular bag from a posterior view. The cornea and iris were then excised for evaluation from an anterior view.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ACO was scored in each eye from 0 to IV, according to the degree/area of capsule opacification. Capsulorrhexis size and IOL decentration were measured with calipers.

RESULTS: The overall differences among the IOL groups regarding the three parameters were significant (ACO score: P < 0.001; capsulorrhexis diameter: P = 0.036; IOL decentration: P = 0.012). Mean ACO scores were highest with the large- and small-hole one-piece silicone-plate lenses (2.543 +/- 0.950) and lowest with the three-piece acrylic optic-PMMA haptic lenses (0.600 +/- 0.710). Of 10 cases of capsulorrhexis phimosis observed in the study, 7 cases were associated with three-piece silicone optic-Prolene haptic lenses, which also presented the highest mean decentration (0.375 +/- 0.601 mm).

CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm previous histopathologic observations that the rate of ACO is the lowest with acrylic lenses and higher with plate-haptic silicone IOLs. Nevertheless, clinical sequelae of capsular shrinkage are also very important with three-piece silicone optic-Prolene haptic designs. Thus, IOL material and design are significant factors in the development of ACO, but they ultimately also influence the clinical presentation of capsular shrinkage.

Low-angle x-ray scattering (LAXS) from lyophilized blood and its constituents is characterized by the presence of two peaks in the forward direction of scattering. These peaks are found to be sensitive to the variations in the molecular structure of a given sample. The present work aims to explore the nature of LAXS from a variety of lyophilized biological samples. It also aims to investigate the possibility that a certain biological macromolecule is responsible of the production of LAXS peaks. This is carried out through measurements of LAXS from complex biological samples and their basic constituents. Among the measured samples are haemoglobin (Hb), globin, haem, packed red blood cells, bovine albumin, egg albumin, milk, casein, glutamine, alanine, fat, muscle and DNA. A table containing some characteristic parameters of the LAXS profiles of these samples is also presented. Analysis of measured profiles shows that all lyophilized samples produce at least one relatively broad peak at a scattering angle around 10.35 degrees. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of this peak varies considerably among the measured samples. Except for milk and casein. one additional peak at a scattering angle around 4.65 degrees is observed only in the LAXS profiles of proteins or protein-rich samples. This fact strongly suggests protein to be the biological macromolecule from which this characteristic peak originates. The same idea is further strengthened through discussion of some previous observations.

Extracts from the plants Iberis amara, Melissa officinalis, Matricaria recutita, Carum carvi, Mentha x piperita, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Angelica archangelica, Silybum marianum and Chelidonium majus, singly and combined in the form of a commercial preparation, STW 5 (Iberogast) and a modified formulation, STW 5-II, lacking the last 3 constituents, were tested for their potential anti-ulcerogenic activity against indometacin induced gastric ulcers of the rat as well as for their antisecretory and cytoprotective activities. All extracts produced a dose dependent anti-ulcerogenic activity associated with a reduced acid output and an increased mucin secretion, an increase in prostaglandin E2 release and a decrease in leukotrienes. The effect on pepsin content was rather variable and did not seem to bear a relationship with the anti-ulcerogenic activity. The most beneficial effects were observed with the combined formulations STW 5 and STW 5-II in a dose of 10 ml/kg b.w., comparable with cimetidine in a dose of 100 mg/kg b.w. The anti-ulcerogenic activity of the extracts was also confirmed histologically. The cytoprotective effect of the extracts could be partly due to their flavonoid content and to their free radical scavenging properties.

Extracts from the plants Iberis amara, Melissa officinalis, Matricaria recutita, Carum carvi, Mentha x piperita, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Angelica archangelica, Silybum marianum and Chelidonium majus, singly and combined in the form of a commercial preparation, STW 5 (Iberogast) and a modified formulation, STW 5-II, lacking the last 3 constituents, were tested for their potential anti-ulcerogenic activity against indometacin induced gastric ulcers of the rat as well as for their antisecretory and cytoprotective activities. All extracts produced a dose dependent anti-ulcerogenic activity associated with a reduced acid output and an increased mucin secretion, an increase in prostaglandin E2 release and a decrease in leukotrienes. The effect on pepsin content was rather variable and did not seem to bear a relationship with the anti-ulcerogenic activity. The most beneficial effects were observed with the combined formulations STW 5 and STW 5-II in a dose of 10 ml/kg b.w., comparable with cimetidine in a dose of 100 mg/kg b.w. The anti-ulcerogenic activity of the extracts was also confirmed histologically. The cytoprotective effect of the extracts could be partly due to their flavonoid content and to their free radical scavenging properties.

Extracts from the plants Iberis amara, Melissa officinalis, Matricaria recutita, Carum carvi, Mentha x piperita, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Angelica archangelica, Silybum marianum and Chelidonium majus, singly and combined in the form of a commercial preparation, STW 5 (Iberogast) and a modified formulation, STW 5-II, lacking the last 3 constituents, were tested for their potential anti-ulcerogenic activity against indometacin induced gastric ulcers of the rat as well as for their antisecretory and cytoprotective activities. All extracts produced a dose dependent anti-ulcerogenic activity associated with a reduced acid output and an increased mucin secretion, an increase in prostaglandin E2 release and a decrease in leukotrienes. The effect on pepsin content was rather variable and did not seem to bear a relationship with the anti-ulcerogenic activity. The most beneficial effects were observed with the combined formulations STW 5 and STW 5-II in a dose of 10 ml/kg b.w., comparable with cimetidine in a dose of 100 mg/kg b.w. The anti-ulcerogenic activity of the extracts was also confirmed histologically. The cytoprotective effect of the extracts could be partly due to their flavonoid content and to their free radical scavenging properties.

A series of ferrite samples of the chemical composition Cu 0.7 (Zn 0.3-xMg x)Al 0.3Fe 1.7O4 [x=0.05, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2], prepared by ceramic technique at 1000°C, were found to have cubic spinel structure. On applying the full pattern fitting of Rietveld method using FullProf program, the exact coordinates of atoms, the unit cell dimensions, the atom occupation factors, isotropic temperature factors, the profile shape parameters as well as the interatomic distances have been determined. It was found that the lattice parameter decreases with increasing the Mg content. Also the variation of the cation distribution has been discussed on the basis of site preference, size and valence of the substituting cations. The low isotropic microstrain values obtained during the refinement process may be attributed to the method of the preparation in which the samples after the last sintering were treated by annealing.