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[Changes of the cornea induced by lipopolysaccharide in Lewis rats]
A F de Vos1, A Kijlstra, P Yang
1Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences; National Ophthalmological Laboratory, Ministry of Public Health, Guangzhou, China.
Insights
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increases macrophages in the cornea, suggesting a defense mechanism. The cornea
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Context:
- The cornea's immune privilege is crucial for maintaining vision.
- Understanding immune cell dynamics in the cornea is vital for treating inflammatory conditions.
Purpose:
- To investigate the corneal response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge.
- To characterize the changes in immune cells, specifically macrophages and MHC class II-positive cells, within the cornea after LPS administration.
Summary:
- Macrophages are present throughout the normal rat cornea, with density decreasing towards the center.
- Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection significantly increases corneal monocytes and macrophages, altering their morphology.
- Major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC class II)-positive cells were transiently observed on the corneal endothelium post-LPS, but absent in the normal cornea's stroma or epithelium.
Impact:
- The influx of macrophages suggests a role in the corneal defense against LPS.
- The limited expression of MHC class II antigens in the cornea may contribute to its immune-privileged status, maintaining tissue stability during inflammation.
Purpose:
To investigate changes of the cornea induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Methods:
Immunohistochemical study using monoclonal antibodies to monocytes, macrophages (ED1, ED2) and MHC class II antigen (OX6) was performed on the corneal wholemounts obtained from normal lewis rats and those after LPS injection.
Results:
Macrophages were noted to be present in whole cornea with a gradually decreased cell density from limbus to central part in normal lewis rats. However, major histocompatibility complex class II antigen (MHC class II)-positive cells were only distributed at limbus. Footpad injection of LPS induced an increase of monocytes and macrophages in whole cornea and a dramatical changes of these cells morphologically. MHC class II-positive cells were only and shortly noted on the surface of the cornea endothelium at early stage after LPS injection.
Conclusion:
LPS-induced increase of macrophages in the cornea may be an important defense mechanism in response to LPS challenge. On the other hand, the absence of MHC class II-positive cells both in the normal and in the inflamed cornea may be contributed to the stability of immunological microenvironment within this tissue.
