Abstract
Purpose :
To compare the efficacy between 0.3% hypotonic sodium hyaluronate (SH) and isotonic SH in experimental dry eye (EDE).
Methods :
EDE was induced in C57BL/6 mice by a subcutaneous scopolamine injection and a dry air draft during a 10 day period. The mice were divided into 3 groups according to topical treatment regimens: EDE control, 0.3% isotonic SH, and 0.3% hypotonic SH. Tear volume, tear break-up time (TBUT), and corneal staining scores were measured 5 and 10 days after dry eye induction. Multiplex immunobead assay for the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, interleukin (IL)-6, interferon (IFN)-γ, and interferon gamma-induced protein (IP)-10, flow cytometry for CD4+IFN-γ+T cells, and PAS staining for goblet cell density were performed at 10 days.
Results :
There were no significant changes in tear volume and TBUT between groups. The isotonic SH group had lower staining scores than the EDE group at day 10, whereas the hypotonic SH group showed lower corneal staining scores compared with the EDE group at 5 and 10 days and the isotonic SH group at 10 days (p<0.05). In the hypotonic SH group, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ, and IP-10 were lower than those of the EDE group and IFN-γ level was lower than that of the isotonic SH groups at 10 days (p<0.05). The hypotonic SH group had significantly higher goblet cell density and lower CD4+INF-γ+T cell count compared with the EDE and isotonic groups.
Conclusions :
0.3% hypotonic SH eye drops were more effective in improving keratoepitheliopathy and goblet cell density and decreasing inflammatory markers related with dry eye compared with 0.3% isotonic SH eye drops, suggesting that hypotonic artificial tears are beneficial for severe inflammatory dry eye.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.