Changes in corneal innervation and pain responses in fungal keratitis

• 作者: Chang-Jie Ren Cui Li Gui-Qiu Zhao Guo-Qiang Zhu Jia You Jie Zhang Jing Lin Qian Wang Xu-Dong Peng Yi-Fan Zhou Yuan Wu
• 来源期刊: 国际眼科杂志:英文版
• 学科: 医学
• 关键词: KERATITIS PAIN FUNGAL INNERVATION subbasal NERVE mice
• 年，卷（期）: 2020,（1）
• 页码范围: 1-6
• 页数: 6页
• 分类号: R73

摘要

AIM: To characterize changes in the cornea nerve and pain responses in fungal keratitis(FK).METHODS: A retrospective analysis of in vivo confocal microscopy images of 11 FK corneas was performed, and the results were compared with those for 11 normal corneas. Subbasal corneal nerves were analyzed for total nerve number, main nerve trunk number, branching patterns and tortuosity. C57 BL/6 mice were infected with Aspergillus fumigatus. Disease severity was determined through clinical scoring and slit lamp photography. Corneas were harvested at 1, 3, 5, and 7 d post infection(p.i.) and assessed for β III tubulin. Corneal mechanical sensitivity thresholds were detected by von Frey test. β-endorphin(β-EP) and μ receptor protein expression was detected through Western blotting.RESULTS: Total nerve number, main nerve trunk number, and nerve branching were significantly lower in FK patients than in controls, but tortuosity was not significantly different. In infected mice, subbasal nerve density decreased from 1 d p.i., reaching a minimum at 5 d p.i. Clinical scores rose at 1 d p.i., peaked at 3 d p.i., and decreased at 5 d p.i. Mechanical sensitivity thresholds showed the same trends. β-EP and μ receptor protein expression increased after infection.CONCLUSION: Corneal nerve density is lower in FK patients and Aspergillus fumigatus-infected mice than in controls. Pain sensitivity decreases with postinfection corneal ulcer aggravation. β-EP and μ receptor proteins are both upregulated in infected mouse corneas.