Abstract
Purpose: :
Semaphorin (Sema)3E is one of the class 3 semaphorins, and plexinD1 is known to be its receptor. It has been reported that Sema3E and plexinD1 play an important role in the development of neural and vascular network during embryogenesis. Recent findings have shown that Sema3E/PlexinD1 axis is also involved in postnatal angiogenesis. But it is unclear whether Sema3E is involved in ocular pathology. The purpose of this study was to determine the expression of Sema3E in the process of mice corneal neovascularization models.
Methods: :
Corneal inflammation and neovascularization was induced by suturing 10-0 nylon 1mm away from limbal vessels in one eye of BALB/C mouse (8W, male). And the ether eye was untreated. Both eyes were enucleated 3 days after suturing. The expression of Sema3E was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Frozen tissue slices were stained by Sema3E and CD11b, and observed by fluorescence microscope.
Results: :
Sema3E was expressed in stromal cells of cornea in normal and inflamed cornea. It markedly increased in the inflamed corneal tissue, expressed in keratocytes and CD11b positive macrophages.
Conclusions: :
These findings indicate that Sema3E may be involeved in corneal homeostasis and inflammation.
Keywords: cornea: stroma and keratocytes • inflammation • microscopy: light/fluorescence/immunohistochemistry