AIM:To establish the model of pseudomonas aeruginosa and staphylococcus aureus keratitis infection in tree shrews. To determine the expression of IL-17 in the bacterial infection process of tree shrews cornea, and the mechanism of IL-17 in bacterial keratitis of tree shrews is discussed.

METHODS: The tree shrew bacterial keratitis models were established by the contact lens-assisted corneal scratching method. After establishing models successfully, the infection symptoms of the model were evaluated by using anterior segment photography and in vivo confocal microscopy on 1, 4, 7 and 14d after performing inoculation, and pathological sections were made to observe histopathological changes in the cornea. Samples were collected at the corresponding time points above, and the expression of IL-17 mRNA in the corneal tissues of tree shrews was detected by real-time quantitative PCR, and the expression of IL-17 protein was detected by ELISA.

RESULTS:The success rate of modeling the tree shrew pseudomonas aeruginosa and staphylococcus aureus keratitis models was 96% and 100%.The clinical manifestations and inflammatory cell infiltration of the tree shrew keratitis was consistent with the changing rules of the cornea in histopathological. IL-17 gene and protein expression profiles in tree shrew corneas were consistent with the severity of corneal inflammation basically.

CONCLUSION:The use of contact lens-assisted corneal scratching method can successfully establish animal models of pseudomonas aeruginosa and staphylococcus aureus keratitis in tree shrews that more closely resemble the natural course of human bacterial keratitis infection. IL-17 participated in the occurrence and development of bacterial keratitis in tree shrews.