Abstract
Purpose :
To determine the impact of acute and chronic murine dry eye disease on intraepithelial corneal nerve density and function
Methods :
Acute desiccating stress was induced using scopolamine, low humidity and airflow. Mice were sacrificed at 3, 5, and 10 days; chronic dry eye was induced by aging (24 months). Axon density, thickness, apical axon terminal extension, and corneal touch sensation were determined. In addition, RNA was isolated from corneal epithelial cells of young and 24-month-old mice and QPCR performed to quantify mRNAs for genes involved in axon growth and targeting.
Results :
Both acute and chronic dry eye reduce axon density and thickness as well as corneal touch sensation. Acute dry eye reduces axon terminal extension but chronic dry eye does not. In 24 month old mice, mRNAs for several genes that target axon growth and one that mediates axon retraction are altered in expression but that that mediate axon turnover are not altered.
Conclusions :
Acute and chronic dry eye disease impact sensory axon density and function. QPCR data implicate altered corneal epithelial cell expression of proteins that mediate axon elongation and/or retraction.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.