Language
English
Publication Date
6-3-2024
Journal
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
DOI
10.1167/iovs.65.6.39
PMID
38935032
PMCID
PMC11216279
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
6-27-2024
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore protective effects and potential mechanism of ectoine, a natural osmoprotectant, on ocular surface mucin production in dry eye disease.
METHODS: A dry eye model was established in C57BL/6 mice exposed to desiccating stress (DS) with untreated (UT) mice as controls. DS mice were topically treated with 2.0% ectoine or PBS vehicle. Corneal epithelial defects were assessed by Oregon Green Dextran (OGD) fluorescent staining. Conjunctival goblet cells, ocular mucins, and T help (Th) cytokines were evaluated by immunofluorescent staining or ELISA, and RT-qPCR.
RESULTS: Compared with UT mice, corneal epithelial defects were detected as strong punctate OGD fluorescent staining in DS mice with vehicle, whereas ectoine treatment largely reduced OGD staining to near-normal levels. Conjunctival goblet cell density and cell size decreased markedly in DS mice, but was significantly recovered by ectoine treatment. The protein production and mRNA expression of two gel-forming secreted MUC5AC and MUC2, and 4 transmembrane mucins, MUC1, MUC4, MUC16, and MUC15, largely decreased in DS mice, but was restored by ectoine. Furthermore, Th2 cytokine IL-13 was inhibited, whereas Th1 cytokine IFN-γ was stimulated at protein and mRNA levels in conjunctiva and draining cervical lymph nodes (CLNs) of DS mice, leading to decreased IL-13/IFN-γ ratio. Interestingly, 2.0% ectoine reversed their alternations and restored IL-13/IFN-γ balance.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that topical ectoine significantly reduces corneal damage, and enhances goblet cell density and mucin production through restoring imbalanced IL-13/IFN-γ signaling in murine dry eye model. This suggests therapeutic potential of natural osmoprotectant ectoine for dry eye disease.
Keywords
Animals, Dry Eye Syndromes, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Disease Models, Animal, Goblet Cells, Interferon-gamma, Mucins, Interleukin-13, Conjunctiva, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, Epithelium, Corneal, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction, RNA, Messenger, Amino Acids, Diaminom, dry eye, ectoine, IFN-γ, IL-13, mucins, murine model
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Lin, Na; Chen, Xin; Liu, Haixia; et al., "Ectoine Enhances Mucin Production Via Restoring IL-13/IFN-γ Balance in a Murine Dry Eye Model" (2024). Faculty and Staff Publications. 2718.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/2718