Abstract
Purpose :
Purpose: To study the effect of AMP-activated protein kinase（AMPK） activator and inhibitor on the rejection of penetrating Transplantation in rats and to investigate the pathogenesis of corneal allograft rejection.
Methods :
Methods: A rat model of penetrating Transplantation was established and divided into three groups: group A, group B and group C. AMPK activator AICAR and inhibitor Compound C were injected intraperitoneally into experimental group A and group C every three days. Group B were intraperitoneal injected saline as control group. The corneal graft survival time was judged according to the corneal rejection score of Larkin after 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 21 days and 28 days. The expression level of AMPK in corneal grafts was detected by Western Blot. The degree of inflammatory cell infiltration was observed by HE staining. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of Treg. Serum IL-2, IL-10 and IL-17F were examined by Elisa.
Results :
Results: The survival time of group A was 14.25±0.59 days, the survival time of group B was 12.13±0.63 days, and the survival time of group C was 10.50±0.53 days. At 14 days postoperatively, HE staining showed that group A had corneal edema, thickened, inflammatory cell infiltration was the lowest, group C was the highest. At 14 and 28 days after operation, Western Blot showed that AMPK had the highest expression level in group A and lowest in group C. At 14 and 28 days postoperatively, immunohistochemical staining showed that Treg cells were expressed in the cornea of group A, and the expression level of Treg cells was the highest in group C.
Conclusions :
Conclusion: AMPK activator AICAR can inhibit corneal allograft rejection, AMPK inhibitor Compound C can promote corneal allograft rejection. AMPK activator enhances the expression of AMPK and Treg cells in corneal grafts and increase the expression of IL-10 while inhibit the expression of IL-2 and IL-17F in serum. AMPK inhibitor Compound C plays the opposite role.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.