Abstract:

BACKGROUND: In recent years, studies have shown that trehalose effectively reduce mortality of the corneal epithelial cells in the dry environment. So, it may be used as a kind of new drug for xerophthalmus.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the healing effect of trehalose on a rat model of excessive evaporative xerophthalmus.
METHODS: A total of 15 SD rats (30 eyes) were randomly divided into normal, control, and experimental groups, with 5 rats for each group (10 eyes). The normal group was not treated, and the other two groups were made into xerophthalmus models by preventing nictation to expose conjunctiva. The control and treatment groups were dripped by normal saline and trehalose eyedrops to eyes after 24-hour exposure in 2 weeks, for 4 times per day. Shirmer I test and fluorescence staining test were carried on after 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days, respectively. At the same time, the density of conjunctival goblet cell was detected by conjunctival impression cytology. The conjunctiva and cornea were taken out to do pathological examination after 14 days.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in Shirmer I test among normal, control, and experimental groups (P > 0.05); but there was statistically significant difference in the result of corneal fluorescein staining among normal, control, and experimental groups (P < 0.05). On the 3rd, 7th, and 14th days, fluorescence staining scores of cornea in the experimental group were significantly less than control group (P < 0.05). Squamous metaplasia degeneration of conjunctiva appeared in both control and experimental groups, and the conjunctival goblet cell density was increased after treatment, which was significant difference compared with normal group (P < 0.05). The goblet cell density in the experimental group was increased at 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after exposure compared with control group (P < 0.05). Pathological examination showed that a large number of inflammatory cells emerged in the cornea in the control group, while inflammatory cells were not observed in the experimental group, suggesting that trehalose inhibited decreasing of conjunctival goblet cells and effectively cured exposed xerophthalmus.