Abstract
Purpose::
To clarify the participation of oxidative stress in glaucoma, detected free radical in aqueous humor of glaucoma patients by electron spin resonance (ESR) and discuss whether free radical participates in neovascular glaucoma (NVG).
Methods::
In this study, aqueous humor samples were obtained from glaucoma surgery with informed consent and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen. NVG group were 6 eyes and non-NVG group (primary open-angle glaucoma of 5 eyes, primary angle-closure glaucoma of 4 eyes, normal-tension glaucoma of 1 eye) were 10 eyes. Free radicals in aqueous humor were detected by ESR. To identify free radicals, each the addition or non-addition of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase to aqueous humor were measured in the same ways.
Results::
In the NVG group, unknown waveforms were detected of all cases. Under the addition of SOD, the characteristic of waveforms disappeared and the ascorbate free radical (AFR) of specific waveform appeared. Under the addition of catalase, the waveforms unchanged. In the non-NVG group, AFR of specific waveform was detected of all cases. In 3 cases, the waveforms detected the presence of a trace of superoxide was also found.
Conclusions::
In the NVG group, superoxide were detected in aqueous humor and superoxide scavenging activity included in L-ascorbic acid extremely decreased, and L-ascorbic acid should have an antioxidative function in the non-NVG group, suggesting that the aqueous humor in the NVG group were under the higher oxidative stress condition than that in the non-NVG group.
Keywords: oxidation/oxidative or free radical damage • aqueous • neovascularization