Home > Archive>Volume 13, Issue 1, 2020 >1-6. DOI:10.18240/ijo.2020.01.01
HTML XML Export Cite reminder
Changes in corneal innervation and pain responses in fungal keratitis
Author:
Corresponding Author:

Jing Lin and Gui-Qiu Zhao. Department of Ophthalmology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao 26600, Shandong Province, China. yankelinjing@126.com

Fund Project:

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.81470609; No.81870632); the Youth National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.81700800; No.81800800; No.81500695); Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (No.ZR2017MH008; No.ZR2017BH025).

  • Article
    • | |
  • Metrics
    • |
  • Reference
    • |
  • Related
    • |
  • Cited by
    • | |
  • Comments
    Abstract:

    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. C57BL/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 7d 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 1d p.i., reaching a minimum at 5d p.i. Clinical scores rose at 1d p.i., peaked at 3d p.i., and decreased at 5d 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.

    Reference
    Related
    Cited by
Get Citation

Chang-Jie Ren, Yi-Fan Zhou, Yuan Wu,/et al.Changes in corneal innervation and pain responses in fungal keratitis. Int J Ophthalmol, 2020,13(1):1-6

Copy
Share
Article Metrics
  • Abstract:
  • PDF:
  • HTML:
  • Cited by:
Publication History
  • Received:July 30,2019
  • Revised:November 20,2019
  • Online: December 27,2019
You are the  Visitors
Governing Body：Department of Health, Provincial Government of Shaanxi, China
Organizer：Xi'an Medical Association of China
Address：Room 11707-08, Building 2, Unit 1, Wanda Plaza, No.8 Yanta North Road, Xi'an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China
Fax：(8629)82245172 Phone：(+8629)82245172/82210956
Email：ijopress@163.com
International Journal of Ophthalmology ® 2025 All Rights Reserved   The terms of CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 are applicable to all open access content.