Abstract
Purpose :
To clarify possible roles for lymphatic vessels for absorption of aqueous humor after glaucoma filtration surgery, we investigated the alteration of lymphatic vessels using mouse filtration surgery models.
Methods :
Using BALB/c mouse, filtration surgery model was made by incision of limbal conjunctiva, followed by the insertion of 33G needle tip into the anterior chamber, and 11-0 nylon suture. The conjunctival tissue was sampled chronologically after surgery and analyzed by whole mount immunohistochemical staining using anti-mouse LYVE1 antibody. The expression of lymphatic growth factor genes (vegfc and flt4, which encoding VEGFR3) were quantified by realtime PCR.
Results :
LYVE-1 positive lymphatic vessels were observed circumferentially around corneal limbus in naïve conjunctival tissue. The LYVE-1 positive staining was disappeared in the filtering bleb at one day after surgery. At 7 days after surgery, LYVE-1 positive lymphatic vessels were observed from peripheral bleb region toward corneal limbus with the sprout formations. Upregulation of vegfc (2.99 fold) and flt4 (2.44 fold) gene expression was observed at the bleb tissue 7 days after filtration surgery compared to the naïve conjunctival tissue.
Conclusions :
Our results suggested remodeling of lymphatic vessels in mouse models of glaucoma filtration surgery.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.