HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chen, W. Articles by Qu, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chen, W. Articles by Qu, J.

A Murine Model of Dry Eye Induced by an Intelligently Controlled Environmental System

From the School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.

PURPOSE. To establish a novel murine model of dry eye using an intelligently controlled environmental system (ICES).

METHODS. Thirty BALB/c mice aged 4 to 6 weeks were housed in the ICES in which the relative humidity, airflow, and temperature were maintained at 15.3% ± 3% (mean ± SD), 2.1 ± 0.2 m/s, and 21° to 23°C, respectively, for 42 days. Thirty mice of similar age and housed in a normal environment were controls (relative humidity, 60%–80%; no airflow; temperature, 21°–23°C). The ocular surfaces of the animals in both groups were analyzed before and 3, 7, 14, 28, and 42 days after the experiment for aqueous tear production, corneal barrier function, conjunctival morphology, and goblet cell density. The level of apoptosis on the ocular surface also was assessed using active caspase-3 at 42 days.

RESULTS. A low-humidity environment was maintained constantly by the ICES. Animals in this environment had decreased aqueous tear production, increased corneal fluorescein staining, and marked thinning and accelerated desquamation of the apical corneal epithelium compared with control eyes. Squamous metaplasia of the conjunctival epithelium with decreased goblet cell density also developed in the animals housed in the ICES. Active caspase-3 was highly expressed on the ocular surfaces of the animals housed in the ICES at 42 days.

CONCLUSIONS. The biological and morphologic changes of dry eye induced by ICES in mice are similar to those in humans. This dry eye environment appears to upregulate apoptosis on the ocular surface.