Abstract
Purpose :
To investigate whether rapamycin protect the tear and ocular surface against the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced dry eye syndrome in mice.
Methods :
Tunicamycin was injected intraperitoneally in balb/c mice without or with rapamycin (TM group or RM5 group). Phosphate buffered saline was injected intraperitoneally in control group. Blinking rate, fluorescein staining score (FSS) and phenol red-thread tear secretion test were measured at 4 days, 1 week, and 2 weeks after treatment. Levels of inflammatory and angiogenetic cytokines were measured by ELISA.
Results :
Blinking rate and FSS were elevated in TM group compared to control and tear secretion was decreased in TM group compared to control (p<0.05 for all), which was ameliorated by rapamycin at 1 week and at 2 weeks. Levels of inflammatory and angiogenetic cytokines in ocular surface and lacrimal glands were elevated in TM group compared to control and decreased in RM5 group compared to TM group at 1 week and at 2 weeks (p<0.05 for all).
Conclusions :
Intraperitoneal injection of tunicamycin induced dry eye syndrome in mice. Rapamycin protected the tear and ocular surface against the ER stress-induced dry eye syndrome in mice through ameliorating ER stress-induced vascular damage and inflammation of lacrimal glands and ocular surface.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.