Abstract
Purpose:
Pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) has neurotrophic, anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic functions. Here, we aimed to determine whether corneal PEDF is reduced in dry eye disease (DED).
Methods:
Dry eye disease was induced in 6-week-old female C57BL/6 mice for 7 and 14 days (n=5 each) by placing them in a controlled environment chamber. Control mice were kept in a normal environment (n=5). Corneas from normal and DED mice were immunohistochemically stained with a primary anti-PEDF antibody (goat) and a secondary anti-goat FITC antibody, and analyzed using fluorescent microscopy. A single cell suspension of corneal epithelial cells was prepared and analyzed for the expression of CD45 and PEDF using flow cytometry.
Results:
Immunohistochemistry showed decreased expression of PEDF in the corneal epithelium of DED mice at day 7 and 14 compared to normal mice. In addition, flow cytometry analysis showed that CD45- epithelial cells from DED mice have almost 50% less median fluorescence intensity for PEDF compared to corneal epithelial cells from normal mice.
Conclusions:
Corneal epithelium derived PEDF is reduced in a murine model of DED suggesting its potential immunoregulatory role in the homeostasis of the ocular surface.