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In This Article

  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Protocol
  • Representative Results
  • Discussion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Materials
  • References
  • Reprints and Permissions

Summary

Here, we establish a rat model of lacrimal gland dysfunction to provide a basis for the study of aqueous-deficient dry eye.

Abstract

Aqueous-deficient dry eye (ADDE) is a type of dry eye disease that can result in the reduction of tear secretion quantity and quality. Prolonged abnormal tear production can lead to a disturbance in the ocular surface environment, including corneal damage and inflammation. In severe cases, ADDE can cause vision loss or even blindness. Currently, dry eye treatment is limited to eye drops or physical therapy, which can only alleviate eye discomfort symptoms and cannot fundamentally cure dry eye syndrome. To restore the function of the lacrimal gland in dry eye, we have created an animal model of lacrimal gland dysfunction in rats induced by scopolamine. Through the comprehensive evaluation of the lacrimal gland, corneas, conjunctivas, and other factors, we aim to provide a full understanding of the pathological changes of ADDE. Compared with the current dry eye mouse model, this ADDE animal model includes a functional evaluation of the lacrimal gland, providing a better platform for studying lacrimal gland dysfunction in ADDE.

Introduction

By 2021, approximately 12% of people are significantly affected by dry eyes1, making it one of the most common chronic eye diseases. Dry eye can be divided into two types: aqueous-deficient dry eye (ADDE) and evaporative dry eye (EDE)2, depending on the different factors that affect the disease. ADDE is further divided into Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and non-SS, but the majority of dry eye patients are non-SS patients in clinical3. Chronic dry eye symptoms seriously affect the visual quality of patients. Currently, the conventional treatment of DED involves the applicat....

Protocol

All animal experiments performed following this protocol are performed under the approval of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

1. Animal preparation

  1. Prepare 12 healthy 6-week-old SPF Wistar female rats weighing 160 g ± 20 g.
  2. Use a slit lamp and ophthalmoscope to examine the eye conditions of all rats, ensuring that there are no anterior segment or retinal diseases.
  3. Raise all the rats for 1 week with sufficient food an.......

Representative Results

Schirmer I test, SIT I
The tear volume of the rats was measured on days 0, 3, 5, 7, 11, 15, and 19 after the start of the experiment. The experimental results showed that the tear secretion of the scopolamine group (2.5 group, 5 group, 7.5 group), compared with the control group (0 group), was significantly decreased, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). There was no statistical significance between the 2.5 group, 5 group, and 7.5 group (P > 0.05). There was no signi.......

Discussion

Aqueous-deficient dry eye (ADDE) is an important type of dry eye, accounting for about 1/3 of the total dry eye population17, and the main cause of ADDE is lacrimal gland pathological damage and inflammation13. For this type of dry eye, the most common clinical treatment methods are artificial tears to alleviate symptoms or topical application of steroids or cyclosporine18, while there are few treatment options for damage to the lacrimal gland. There.......

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Guangdong Provincial High-level Clinical Key Specialties (SZGSP014) and Shenzhen Natural Science Foundation (JCYJ20210324125805012).

....

Materials

NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
0.9% sodium chloride solutionSJZ No.4 PharmaceuticalH13023201
4% paraformaldehydeWuhan Servicebio Technology Co., LtdG1113
Absolute ethanolSinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.10009218
Fluorescein sodium ophthalmic stripsTianjin Yinuoxinkang Medical Device Tech Co., LtdYN-YG-I
Hematoxylin and eosinNanjing Jiancheng Bioengineering InstituteD006
Neutral balsamBeijing Solarbio Science & Technology Co., Ltd. G8590
ParaffinBeijing Solarbio Science & Technology Co., Ltd.YA0012
Periodic Acid-Schiff Staining KitBeyotime BiotechnologyC0142S
Schirmer tear test stripsTianjin Yinuoxinkang Medical Device Tech Co., LtdYN-LZ-I
Scopolamine hydrobromideShanghai Macklin Biochemical Co., LtdS860151
Small animal microscopeHead Biotechnology Co,. LtdZM191
XyleneSinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.10023418

References

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Dry EyeLacrimal Gland DysfunctionScopolamineAnimal ModelADDEAqueous deficient Dry EyeCorneal DamageInflammationTear SecretionLacrimal Gland Regeneration3D ReconstructionTransplantation

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