Abstract
Purpose :
To test a vasodilator substance in the treatment of an experimental model of dry eye.
Methods :
The first step was to standardize an experimental model of SjS in mice. Non-obese diabetic mice (NOD) females were divided into control groups (CTL, n = 6) - healthy animals Nod Scid cb-17 and Sjögren Syndrome group (SjS, n = 6) - NOD animals. All animals were submitted to tear measurement by the red phenol test and slit lamp exam with fluorescein staining to check for epithelial keratitis. After 20 weeks, the animals were euthanized and the eyeballs and lacrimal and meibomian glands were harvested for histological and immunohistochemical analysis.
Results :
The SjS (NOD) animals presented glycemia higher than 500mg/ml and the control animals presented normal glycemic level of 76mg/ml in average. The phenol red test showed a decrease in the tear production of the SjS animals when compared to the control group. Histopathologic analysis demonstrated that the lacrimal glands of the diseased animals had parenchyma with mucosal acini presenting extensive dilatation of the lumen, accumulation of pigmented and granular secretion and epithelial cells with atrophic aspect.
Conclusions :
In this first experiment, we standardize an animal model of SjS in mice. The next step will include a randomized comparative study to evaluate the efficacy of the vasodilator substance in the treatment of dry eye induced in the SjS experimental model vs. control.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.