Abstract
Purpose: :
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a component of green tea catechin with the strong biological activity, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of topical EGCG for treatment of dry eye disease (DED).
Methods: :
Fifty C57BL/6 mice were housed in the controlled environment chamber to induce the murine DED model. Topical 0.1% EGCG or vehicle as control was applied to the eyes. Corneal fluorescein staining and the number of corneal CD11b+ cells were assessed in the different groups. Expression of cytokines IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 were evaluated by real-time PCR in the corneas and conjunctivae at day 9.
Results: :
Treatment with topical EGCG showed a significant decrease in corneal fluorescein staining compared with the vehicle (33%, P<.001) and untreated controls (48%, P<.001) as well as a significant decrease in infiltration of CD11b+ cells compared with the vehicle at periphery and center (23.3% [P=.002], 39.9% [P=.030]). EGCG treatment was also associated with a significant decrease in the corneal expression of IL-1β and MCP-1 compared with the vehicle (40.5%[P=.002], 52.8% [P=.005]).
Conclusions: :
Topical EGCG treatment is able to reduce the clinical signs and inflammatory changes in the cornea in DED as evidenced by decreased inflammatory cytokine expression and the infiltration of CD11b+ cells.
Keywords: cornea: tears/tear film/dry eye