Chair, Department of Ophthalmology

Department / Division:
Ophthalmology / Glaucoma Service

Address:
DUMC 3802
Durham, NC 27710

Office Telephone:
919-684-5846

Fax Telephone:
919-681-6343

• MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Maryland), 1968

• Glaucoma, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 1973-1975

• Glaucoma Fellowship, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 1975-1976

• MMM, Tulane University School of Public Health (Louisiana), 2001

Clinical Interests:
Glaucoma consultation

Research Interests:
My research is focused on developing novel specific treatments for glaucoma that are directed at the trabecular meshwork, the tissue that is known to be abnormal in glaucoma, causing increased resistance to outflow of aqueous humor from the anterior chamber of the eye.  Methods include modern cell biological and molecular techniques to study both the tissue and cells of the outflow pathway in vitro and in vivo.  There is an emphasis on the influence of the cytoskeleton on aqueous humor outflow function.  In addition, recent work of the laboratory has focused on gene expression during elevations of intraocular pressure or mechanical stretch, with the goal of identifying key homeostatic influences on aqueous humor outflow resistance that might lead to novel therapies for glaucoma.  A current hypothesis is that proteasome dysfunction might be involved in the cellular aging that leads to glaucoma.

Representative Publications:
Luna C, Li G, Liton PB, Qiu J, Epstein DL, Challa P, Gonzalez P. Resveratrol prevents the expression of glaucoma markers induced by chronic oxidative stress in trabecular meshwork cells. Food Chem Toxicol. 2009 Jan;47(1):198-204. (2009) Abstract

Liton PB, Lin Y, Gonzalez P, Epstein DL. Potential role of lysosomal dysfunction in the pathogenesis of primary open angle glaucoma. Autophagy. 2009 Jan 1;5(1):122-4. (2009) Abstract

Liton PB, Li G, Luna C, Gonzalez P, Epstein DL. Cross-talk between TGF-beta1 and IL-6 in human trabecular meshwork cells. Mol Vis. 2009;15:326-334. (2009) Abstract

Liton PB, Lin Y, Luna C, Li G, Gonzalez P, Epstein DL. Cultured porcine trabecular meshwork cells display altered lysosomal function when subjected to chronic oxidative stress. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Sep;49(9):3961-9. (2008) Abstract

Rao VP, Epstein DL. Rho GTPase/Rho kinase inhibition as a novel target for the treatment of glaucoma. BioDrugs. 2007;21(3):167-77. (2007) Abstract

Liton PB, Luna C, Challa P, Epstein DL, Gonzalez P. Genome-wide expression profile of human trabecular meshwork cultured cells, nonglaucomatous and primary open angle glaucoma tissue. Mol Vis. 2006;12:774-90. (2006) Abstract

Rao PV, Shimazaki A, Ichikawa M, Alvarado JA, Epstein DL. Effects of novel ethacrynic acid derivatives on human trabecular meshwork cell shape, actin cytoskeletal organization, and transcellular fluid flow. Biol Pharm Bull. 2005 Dec;28(12):2189-96. (2005) Abstract

Liton PB, Liu X, Challa P, Epstein DL, Gonzalez P. Induction of TGF-beta1 in the trabecular meshwork under cyclic mechanical stress. J Cell Physiol. 2005 Dec;205(3):364-71. (2005) Abstract

Caballero M, Liton PB, Challa P, Epstein DL, Gonzalez P. Effects of donor age on proteasome activity and senescence in trabecular meshwork cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004 Oct 22;323(3):1048-54. (2004) Abstract

Khurana RN, Deng PF, Epstein DL, Vasantha Rao P. The role of protein kinase C in modulation of aqueous humor outflow facility. Exp Eye Res. 2003 Jan;76(1):39-47. (2003) Abstract

Khurana RN, Maddala RL, Shimokawa H, Zigler JS, Epstein DL, Rao PV.  Inhibition of Rho kinase induces αB-crystallin expression in lens epithelial cells.  Biochem & Biophysical Res Comm 2002;294:981-987. (2002)

Stamer WD, Peppel K, O'Donnell ME, Roberts BC, Wu F, Epstein DL. Expression of aquaporin-1 in human trabecular meshwork cells: role in resting cell volume. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2001 Jul;42(8):1803-11. (2001) Abstract

Rao PV, Deng PF, Kumar J, Epstein DL. Modulation of aqueous humor outflow facility by the Rho kinase-specific inhibitor Y-27632. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2001 Apr;42(5):1029-37. (2001) Abstract

Gonzalez P, Epstein DL, Borras T. Characterization of Gene Expression in Human Trabecular Meshwork Using Single-Pass Sequencing of 1060 Clones. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2000;41(12): 3678-3693. (2001)