Huang Kaixun

Prevention of axial elongation in myopia by the trace element zinc

The effect of the trace element zinc on the change in the axial length and diopters and the variations of activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and the content of NO in the retino pigmental epithelium choroid homogenate of the myopic eyes in form-sense-deprived chicks were studied. The results show that zinc can inhibit the elongation of axis oculi and increase the diopters in myopia. Meanwhile, the activities of SOD and NOS and the content of NO are significantly increased compared with the model group, indicating that zinc can be used to prevent and treat myopia to a certain extent.

Research progress of selenoproteins in the endoplasmic reticulum

Selenium is an essential micronutrient in mammals. The major biological form of this micronutrient is the amino acid selenocysteine, which is presented in the active sites of selenoproteins. 7 of 25 mammalian selenoproteins have been identified as residents of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), including type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (DI2), the 15-kDa selenoprotein, and selenoproteins K, M, N, S, and T. Most of these proteins are poorly characterized except for DI2. However, recent studies implicate some of them play the role in redox regulation, quality control of protein folding in the ER, retrotranslocation of misfolded proteins from the ER to the cytosol, and regulation of calcium homeostasis, ER stress and inflammation. This review summarizes recent findings about the structure, function, and physiological and pathological roles of the ER-resident selenoproteins. In addition, some future works on these proteins are suggested.