MOLECULAR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES IN DEVELOPMENT OF GLAUCOMA

在日本，青光眼是后天失明最常见的原因，然而，疾病的病因仍不清楚。为了阐明青光眼的病因，我们用分子生物学、免疫组织化学和生化方法检测了小梁组织和培养的小梁细胞，发现青光眼房水中刺激细胞外基质产生的物质增加，小梁网络中细胞外基质积聚，这可能与青光眼的发展有关。我们还在小梁细胞中发现了一种抗氧化酶，并发现一种抗氧化化合物或一种抗青光眼眼药水可以提高该酶的活性。

In japan, glaucoma is the most common cause of acquired blindness, the etiology of disease, however, still unknown. To clarify the etiology, we examined trabecular tissues and cultured trabecular meshwork cells using molecular biological, immunehistochemical and biochemical methods.We found the increase in substances stimulating extracellular matrix production in the aqueous humor, and accumulations of extracellular matrix in the trabecular meshwork in glaucomatous eyes, which must be associated with development of glaucoma. We also found one of the antioxidant enzymes in the trabecular meshwork cells, and found that an antioxidative compound or a kind of anti-glaucomatous eye drops could increase activity of the enzyme.