Efficacy of Artificial Tears Based on an Extract of Artemia salina Containing Dinucleotides in a Rabbit Dry Eye Model

(1) Background: Artemia salina is a brine shrimp containing high concentrations of dinucleotides, molecules with properties for dry eye treatment. For this reason, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of the artificial tears based on an extract of Artemia salina in a rabbit dry eye model. (2) Methods: A prospective and randomized study was carried out. Twenty rabbits were divided into 4 groups (n = 5, each group): healthy rabbits, dry eye rabbits, dry eye rabbits treated with hypromellose (HPMC), and dry eye rabbits treated with Artemia salina. Dry eye was induced by the topical instillation of 0.2% benzalkonium chloride. The measurements were performed before and after the treatment for 5 consecutive days. (3) Results: The topical instillation of artificial tears containing Artemia salina showed beneficial effects on tear secretion, tear break-up time, corneal staining, the density of Goblet cells, heigh of mucin cloud secreted by these cells, and mRNA levels of IL-1β and MMP9 in conjunctival cells. Compared with the HPMC, there was a statistically significant improvement (p < 0.05) with the Artemia salina in all the variables under study, except for the conjunctival hyperemia, density of Goblet cells, and mRNA levels of IL-6. (4) Conclusions: The potential of artificial tears based on Artemia salina as a secretagogue agent for dry eye treatment was confirmed, opening the door for future clinical trials and studies to extrapolate the findings for dry eye patients.

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Optimization of a Rabbit Dry Eye Model Induced by Topical Instillation of Benzalkonium Chloride

Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1155/2020/7204951 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Carlos Carpena-Torres ◽

Jesús Pintor ◽

María Jesús Pérez de Lara ◽

Fernando Huete-Toral ◽

Almudena Crooke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dry Eye ◽

Benzalkonium Chloride ◽

Goblet Cells ◽

Original Model ◽

Control Group ◽

Conjunctival Hyperemia ◽

Tear Secretion ◽

Eye Model ◽

Breakup Time ◽

Corneal Staining

Purpose. To optimize a rabbit dry eye model induced by topical instillation of benzalkonium chloride (BAC), reduce the days of instillation of the original model by increasing the concentration of BAC from 0.1% to 0.2%. Materials and Methods. An experimental, prospective, and randomized study was performed on 10 male New Zealand white rabbits, divided into two groups, considering both eyes: 5 rabbits as control (n = 10) and 5 rabbits with 0.2% BAC treatment (n = 10). Saline solution (control) and 0.2% BAC were instilled for 5 consecutive days, twice daily. Tear secretion with and without anesthesia, tear breakup time, tear osmolarity, corneal staining, conjunctival hyperemia, density of goblet cells, height of mucin cloud, and transcript levels of IL-6 were measured before and after the treatment. Results. After the instillation of 0.2% BAC for 5 consecutive days, there was a significant increase in tear secretion without anesthesia P<0.001, corneal staining P<0.001, conjunctival hyperemia P<0.001, and levels of IL-6 mRNA P=0.005 compared to the control group. Conversely, there was a decrease in tear secretion with anesthesia P<0.001, tear breakup time P=0.007, tear osmolarity P<0.001, density of goblet cells P<0.001, and height of mucin cloud P<0.001. Conclusions. The topical instillation of 0.2% BAC for 5 consecutive days, twice daily, was a proper procedure to induce a rabbit dry eye model, reducing the number of days of instillation compared to the original model (14 days).

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Fermented Cordyceps cicadae Mycelia Extracts Ameliorate Dry Eye Symptoms through Reduction of Cornea Epithelial Cell Apoptosis and Maintenance of Conjunctival Goblet Cells in a Mouse Dry Eye Model

Journal of Food and Nutrition Research ◽

10.12691/jfnr-5-5-6 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (5) ◽

pp. 320-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tung-Yu Lin ◽

Han-Hsin Chang ◽

Yu-Jun Tang ◽

Chin-Chu Chen ◽

Li-Ya Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Epithelial Cell ◽

Dry Eye ◽

Cell Apoptosis ◽

Goblet Cells ◽

Eye Model ◽

Epithelial Cell Apoptosis ◽

Cordyceps Cicadae ◽

Eye Symptoms ◽

Conjunctival Goblet Cells ◽

Dry Eye Symptoms

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Investigation of Corneal Effect of Different Types of Artificial Tears in a Simulated Dry Eye Condition Using a Novel Porcine Dry Eye Model (pDEM)

Cornea ◽

10.1097/01.ico.0000243960.14651.95 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 25 (10) ◽

pp. 1200-1204 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Emily Pik Yin Choy ◽

Pauline Cho ◽

Iris Frances Forster Benzie ◽

Camus Kar Man Choy

Keyword(s):

Dry Eye ◽

Artificial Tears ◽

Eye Model ◽

Different Types

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Beneficial effects of black bean (Rhynchosia volubilis) on ocular surface damage induced by benzalkonium chloride in mouse model of dry eye

10.1055/s-0037-1608307 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

A Kim Kyung ◽

W Kang Suk ◽

H Lee Chung ◽

J Yang Sung ◽

K Kang Tae ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mouse Model ◽

Dry Eye ◽

Ocular Surface ◽

Benzalkonium Chloride ◽

Surface Damage ◽

Black Bean ◽

Beneficial Effects

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Bee Pollen Diet Alters the Bacterial Flora and Antimicrobial Peptides in the Oral Cavities of Mice

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10061282 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1282

Author(s):

Ariuntsetseg Khurelchuluun ◽

Osamu Uehara ◽

Durga Paudel ◽

Tetsuro Morikawa ◽

Yutaka Kawano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Peptides ◽

Buccal Mucosa ◽

Bacterial Flora ◽

Control Group ◽

Mrna Levels ◽

Bee Pollen ◽

Alpha And Beta Diversity ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Metagenomic Study ◽

Systemic Health

Background: Bee pollen (BP) has a broad range of beneficial effects on health. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of BP on the oral environment, including the microbiome and antimicrobial peptides. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into two groups: control and BP. The BP group was fed with a 5% BP diet for 1 month. Swabs from the oral and buccal mucosa and samples of the intestinal stool were collected. Genomic DNA was extracted and the microbiome was analyzed via 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: BP inhibited the growth of P. gingivalis at a concentration of >2.5%. The metagenomic study showed that the abundance of genus Lactococcus was significantly elevated in the oral and intestinal microbiomes of the BP group when compared to those of the control group. Significant alterations in alpha and beta diversity were observed between the oral microbiomes of the two groups. The mRNA levels of beta-defensin-2 and -3 were significantly upregulated in the buccal mucosa of the BP group. Conclusion: A BP diet may have a beneficial effect on oral and systemic health by modulating the bacterial flora and antimicrobial peptides of the oral cavity. Further investigations are needed to clarify how a BP diet affects overall human health.

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Glatiramer Acetate Treatment in Multiple Sclerosis-Associated Fatigue—Beneficial Effects on Self-Assessment Scales But Not on Molecular Markers

Biomolecules ◽

10.3390/biom11030393 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 393

Author(s):

Oliver Neuhaus ◽

Wolfgang Köhler ◽

Florian Then Bergh ◽

Wolfgang Kristoferitsch ◽

Jürgen Faiss ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Glatiramer Acetate ◽

Neurotrophic Factors ◽

Common Symptom ◽

Mrna Levels ◽

Open Label ◽

Immunological Parameters ◽

Beneficial Effects

Although fatigue is a common symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS), its pathomechanisms are incompletely understood. Glatiramer acetate (GA), an immunomodulatory agent approved for treatment of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), possesses unique mechanisms of action and has been shown to exhibit beneficial effects on MS fatigue. The objective of this study was to correlate clinical, neuropsychological, and immunological parameters in RRMS patients with fatigue before and during treatment with GA. In a prospective, open-label, multicenter trial, 30 patients with RRMS and fatigue were treated with GA for 12 months. Inclusion criterion was the presence of fatigue as one of the most frequent and disabling symptoms. Before and during treatment, fatigue was assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the MS-FSS, and the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). In addition, fatigue and quality of life were assessed using the Visual Analog Scales (VAS). Laboratory assessments included screening of 188 parameters using real-time PCR microarrays followed by further analysis of several cytokines, chemokines, and neurotrophic factors. Fatigue self-assessments were completed in 25 patients. After 12 months of treatment with GA, 13 of these patients improved in all three scales (with the most prominent effects on the MFIS), whereas 5 patients had deteriorated. The remaining 7 patients exhibited inconsistent effects within the three scales. Fatigue and overall quality of life had improved, as assessed via VAS. Laboratory assessments revealed heterogeneous mRNA levels of cytokines, chemokines, and neurotrophic factors. In conclusion, we were not able to correlate clinical and molecular effects of GA in patients with RRMS and fatigue.

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