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Herpetic keratitis in experimental vitamin A deficiency
D L Hatchell1, W J O'Brien, J L Taylor
1Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
|February 1, 1987
Summary
Vitamin A deficiency in rabbits reduced the severity of herpes simplex virus-induced eye disease. This suggests vitamin A deficiency may not worsen ocular herpesvirus infections.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Virology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Vitamin A deficiency, or xerophthalmia, can affect ocular health.
- Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) causes ocular infections.
- The role of vitamin A in HSV-1 ocular infections is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of vitamin A deficiency on the severity of herpes simplex virus type 1 ocular infections in rabbits.
Main Methods:
- Rabbits with experimentally induced xerophthalmia (vitamin A deficient) and control rabbits were inoculated with HSV-1 (KOS strain).
- Ocular disease severity was assessed using biomicroscopy, lesion counts, and virus titration.
- Electron microscopy was used to examine corneal tissue.
Main Results:
- Vitamin A deficient rabbits showed significantly less severe herpesvirus-induced corneal disease compared to controls.
- Keratomalacia was not observed in vitamin A deficient rabbits following HSV-1 infection.
- Corneal lesions in deficient animals were primarily in the periphery, with evidence of viral replication in basal and wing cells.
Conclusions:
- Vitamin A deficiency alone may not predispose the host to more severe ocular herpesvirus infections.
- The findings suggest a complex interaction between vitamin A status and HSV-1 ocular pathogenesis.