A mouse model of allergic conjunctivitis permitting tear eosinophil quantification.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Immunology
• Allergy Research

Background:

• Allergic conjunctivitis is an antigen-induced immune-mediated inflammatory eye disease.
• Key symptoms include ocular itching, redness (hyperemia), and swelling (edema).
• Developing reliable animal models and objective evaluation methods is crucial for understanding and treating allergic conjunctivitis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced mouse model of allergic conjunctivitis.
• To establish a quantitative and objective method for evaluating allergic conjunctivitis symptoms.

Main Methods:

• ICR mice were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) via intraperitoneal injection and ocular instillation.
• Mice received daily topical treatments of betamethasone, levocabastine, or PBS (control) for 14 days.
• Symptoms evaluated included scratching, hyperemia, edema, tear eosinophil infiltration, and immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels.

Main Results:

• The OVA-induced model exhibited characteristic allergic conjunctivitis symptoms like eye scratching, hyperemia, and edema.
• Elevated antigen-specific IgE levels were observed in tears and serum.
• Topical treatments with betamethasone and levocabastine significantly inhibited these allergic symptoms.

Conclusions:

• The developed OVA-induced mouse model accurately replicates clinical allergic conjunctivitis.
• Measuring eosinophils in tears using phenol red threads provides a quantitative, objective, and noninvasive evaluation method.
• This methodology is valuable for both experimental research and clinical assessment of allergic conjunctivitis severity.