Pathophysiology Flashcards
The emmetropisation mechanism:
Hyperopic defocus decreases amplitude of response from retinal cells
Altered signal communication through RPE and choroid to sclera
Gene expression in scleral fibroblast altered
Scleral ECM remodelled, increasing scleral creep rate
Axial elongation > decreased hyperopic defocus
Theories for myopia development:
Dopamine theory: Decreased sun > poor activation of dopamine receptors in sclera > myopic development
Hyperopic defocus theory: peripheral hyperopic defocus (accom lag from near work) > axial elongation to resolve peripheral blur > foveal blur
Hyperopia pathophysiology:
Product of poor emmetropisation (commonly 0.5D)
Genetic factors/environment > dysfunction of signalling loop
Consequences of uncorrected hyperopia:
Anisometropia (different refractive error) > poor development of visual pathway > amblyopia
Excess accommodation > over convergence (near triad) > esophoria greater at near > strabismus / diplopia > amblyopia
Accommodation process in latent hyperopia:
Blur signal received by visual cortex > bilateral Edinger Westphal nuclei (CN3 oculomotor) in midbrain > preganglionic parasympathetic fibres move with CN3 to ciliary ganglion to synapse to postganglionic neurons > neurons travel with CNV1 ciliary nerves to ciliary muscle and pupillary sphincter muscle > activation of muscarinic receptors by Ach > contraction of ciliary muscle and sphincter muscle
Helmholtz theory of accommodation (what ciliary contraction does)
Contraction > forward movement of muscle, slacking zonules attached to lens > lens bulges naturally > increased curvature/thickness/refractive power > image focus moved forward onto retinal plane.
Convergence process in accommodation:
Blur/disparity activates supraocular motor nuclei > innervating oculomotor nuclei > axons sent to medial longitudinal fasiculus > contraction of medial rectus via CN3 > convergence while accommodating
Pupil constriction process in accommodation :
Detection of blur in visual cortex > activation of bilateral pretectal nuclei > bilateral Edinger Westphal nuclei > preganglionic parasympathetic nerves with CN3 move to ciliary ganglion > post ganglionic fibres with CNV1 to iris sphincter muscle > contraction of iris
Accomodation reflex mechanism:
Hyperopic defocus > LGN/optic radiations > visual cortex in occipital lobe >
CN3 with edinger westphal activation > ciliary ganglion > Accomodation/miosis/convergence
Presbyopia pathophysiology:
^ thickness / loss of Ant. Capsule pliability > capsule failure to mould lens
Loss of lens elasticity with constant growth (mitosis) > decreased amplitude of accommodation
Ciliary muscles undergo compensatory hypertrophy (50% stronger than at birth)
Mechanisms of cataract formation:
1: Cell proliferation/differentiation disruption (Growth factors)
2: Metabolic disturbance/osmotic regulation (Na/Ca)
3: Calpains
4: Post-translational modification (lens proteins)
5: Oxidative damage
6: Loss of defense mechanisms
Patho of nuclear cataracts:
Mechanisms 1-6
1. Na/Ca transport loss > osmotic imbalance > intracellular vacuoles/high-mol-weight aggregates
2. Calpain overactivation > disruption of crystallin structure > light scatter
3. PTM glycation of tryptophan > fluorescent chromophore > brunescence
4. Protein oxidation
5. Cortex-nucleus barrier to glutathione
Patho of cortical cataract:
Mechanisms 2/3
Dysfunctional Na/K from damage > NA/K homeostasis loss > Ca/Na influx > overhydration/ calpain activation
Crystallin proteolysis > soluble protein decrease (relative insoluble increase) > ray-like space opacify
Patho of PSC:
Mechanism 1
DM / Cort. / age > Change in GF expression (FGF) > aberrant epith. Proliferation at germinative zone
Dysfunctional cells collate with adjacent fibers forming balloon cells
Organelle retintion > Poor Na/K atpase transport > swelling > vacuoles / extracellular granular material
Growth factors in lens mitosis:
Fibroblast (FGF)
Epidermal (EGF)
Insulin-like (IGF)
Platelet-derived (PDGF)
Transforming (TGF-beta)
Disturbed cell proliferation in cataracts:
Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) stimulates proliferation/differentiation of epithelia (^FGF at equator)
Change in homeostasis of GFs / cytokine-mediated inhibition of production > opaque PSC
Post-translational modification (PTMs) in cataracts:
Additive / Subtractive / Neutral PTMs
Crystallin modifications > change in weight/conformation > thiol group exposure > oxidation > disulphide bond formation > aggregation
Metabolic disturbance in cataracts:
Altered gene expression > enzyme/GF/membrane protein dysregulation > ATP/ion transport/Ca metabolism/antioxidant dysregulation
Na/K ATPase pump loss > Na influx > water influx (^with membrane protein alteration) > swelling
Altered membrane protein > Ca influx (from ^aqueous conc.) > Ca oxylate crystals/ Ca-protein bonds/ calpain activation/ epithelia differentiation alteration
Calpains in cataracts:
Ca activated intracellular cysteine proteases
Decreased calpains > increased damaged protein levels
^Ca > excess activation > proteolysis of crystallin < precipitation of proteins < disorganization of refractive components
Additive PTMs in cataracts:
Disease: diabetes (glucose/ascorbate)/renal loss (cyanate)/aging (photo-oxidation products)/steroids (ketoimines) > methylation/acetylation/carbamylation/glycation > molecules added to lens proteins > alteration > aggregation
Polymerization > protein susceptible to photo-oxidation (UV) > modification of protein-bound tryptophan (or glycation) > presence of fluorescent chromophores > brown coloration
Neutral PTMs
Isomeration/deamidation > conformation change
Alpha-crystallin (chaperone) isomeration (time related) > loss of b/y crystallin regulation, and aggregation
Subtractive PTMs
Proteolysis/cleavage of crystallins > protein precipitate build up
Cleavage of membrane proteins (channel) > ion/glutathione transport dysregulation > vacuole formation/oxidative damage
Other types of cataracts:
Congenital (blue dot)
Trauma (Rosette)
Metabolic (myotonic dyst. > Christmas)
Disease (Uveitis > PSC)
Toxic (cort. > modified Na/K)
Loss of defence mechanisms in cataracts:
Glutathione/ascorbate (from vit.)/tocopheroles/carotenoids/antioxidant enzymes keep proteins from oxidation.
Age > nucleus-cortex glutathione barrier
Vitreous degeneration (age) / vitrectomy > ascorbate loss > nuclear cat