Abstract
Purpose :
To compare the therapeutic effects of 0.1% cyclosporin A cationic emulsion (CsA CE) with that of 0.05% CsA emulsion for ocular surface damage and inflammation in murine dry eye (DE) with different severity.
Methods :
After exposure to desiccating stress and subcutaneous injection of scopolamine for 5 days, C57BL/6 female mice were divided into the severe dry eye (SDE) and non-severe dry eye (NSDE) groups based on corneal fluorescein staining scores (CFS). Mice from both groups were topically treated with 0.05% CsA emulsion or 0.1% CsA CE for 10 days. Tear volume, tear film break-up time, and CFS were measured at 5 and 10 days. Western blot for NF-κB, multiplex immunobead assay for inflammatory cytokines, flow cytometry for CD4+ T cells, histology for goblet cell density, and TUNEL staining for apoptosis were performed at 10 days.
Results :
0.1% CsA CE-treated mice in the SDE and NSDE groups showed a significant improvement in all clinical parameters. Furthermore, in the SDE group, CFS in 0.1% CsA CE-treated mice was lower than that in 0.05% CsA-treated mice at 10 days. In the SDE and NSDE groups, remarkably improved expression of NF-κB, levels of TNF-a, IL-6, and IL-17, percentage of CD4+ IFN-g+ and CD4+ IL-17+ T cells, density of goblet cells, and number of apoptotic cells on the ocular surface were observed. Specifically, in the SDE group, 0.1% CsA CE-treated mice had significantly decreased NF-κB activation, inflammatory infiltrations, and apoptosis on the ocular surface and increased conjunctival goblet cell density compared to 0.05% CsA-treated mice.
Conclusions :
0.1% CsA CE was more effective than topical 0.05% CsA emulsion in improving corneal epithelial injury and decreasing inflammatory cytokines and T cells in SDE.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.