Abstract
Purpose: :
Corneal disease–1 (corn1) mice are deficient in destrin (actin depolymerizing factor) and develop corneal epithelial hyperproliferation, followed by corneal stromal neovascularization. An additional mouse line carrying the second allele of corn1, corn12J, has also been identified. In corn12J mice, a significantly milder proliferation of the corneal epithelium is observed without the presence of neovascularization. Previous studies identified genes associated with angiogenesis and/or inflammatory cell chemotaxis as upregulated in the cornea of corn1 mice. The purpose of this study was to examine the expression pattern of molecules identified as well as to determine a functional association between the infiltration of leukocytes and the neovascularization observed in corn1 mice.
Methods: :
Immunohistochemistry was performed at various time points to determine the expression pattern of an angiogenic/chemotactic factor as well as the type and number of leukocytes present in corn1 and corn12J cornea.
Results: :
Through immunohistochemical analyses, a significantly greater number of leukocytes were observed in the cornea of corn1 mice compared to wild–type mice prior to the onset of neovascularization. These cells persist through at least 4 weeks of age. The angiogenic/chemotactic factor tested was expressed simultaneously and not prior to the infiltration of leukocytes in the corn1 cornea. These leukocytes do not infiltrate the cornea of corn12J or wild–type mice at any time point tested.
Conclusions: :
The concomitant expression of an angiogenic/chemotactic factor with the infiltration of leukocytes in corn1 but not in corn12J cornea suggests an association between inflammatory cell recruitment and the neovascularization observed in corn1 mice.
Keywords: cornea: basic science • neovascularization • cytokines/chemokines