Background:Galectin-3 (Gal-3) plays a role in the mechanisms underlying ocular venous malformation.We conducted this study to investigate the effect of pingyangmycin pretreatment on the Gal-3 expressions and biological behavior of ocular venous malformation.Methods:Tissue samples were collected from 136 patients with ocular venous malformation.Patients were randomly divided into pingyangmycin (n =69) and nonpingyangmycin group (n 67).Patients in the pingyangmycin group received a local injection of 0.02％ pingyangmycin once every 2 days for 2 weeks (7 doses) before removal surgery,whereas patients in the nonpingyangmycin group underwent removal surgery without local injection.The protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of Gal-3 were detected by using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.Results:Gal-3 protein was expressed in 35 (52％) of 67 samples in the nonpingyangmycin group and in 19 (28％) of 69 samples in the pingyangmycin group (P ＜ 0.05).Gal-3 mRNA expression was detected in 39 (58％) of 67 samples in the nonpingyangmycin group and 22 (32％) of 69 samples in the pingyangmycin group (P ＜ 0.05).The higher Gal-3 expressions were detected in samples with deeper invasiveness than those with superficial invasiveness before (x2 12.720 and 13.369,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05) and after pingyangmycin treatment (x2 =8.429 and 4.590,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05).It was more frequently detected in mesh-like lesions with unclear boundary than round lesions with clear boundary before (x-2 =30.291 and 41.466,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05) and after pingyangmycin treatment (x-2 =14.619 and 15.130,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05).Pingyangmycin treatment led to a significant difference in Gal-3 expressions at both protein and mRNA levels (x2 =8.664 and 9.524,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions:Gal-3 expression may be involved in the development and invasiveness of ocular venous malformation,and pingyangmycin can inhibit Gal-3 expression,indicating a role of pingyangmycin treatment before the removal of ocular venous malformation.