Herbort C P, Okumura A, Mochizuki M
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Japan.
Exp Eye Res. 1989 May;48(5):693-705. doi: 10.1016/0014-4835(89)90010-9.
Footpad injection of endotoxin causes exclusive ocular inflammation in the rat. In order to clarify its physiopathologic mechanism, we studied the effect of different treatments on endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU). Salmonella endotoxin was injected into the footpads of Lewis rats. 18 hr later, inflammation was assessed by evaluating proteins and cells in the anterior chamber; arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites, prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4, as well as substance P were measured by radioimmunoassay, and Ia-(MHC class II)-antigen expression in ciliary body was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The effect of inhibitors of phospholipase A2 (EPC), of lipoxygenase (azelastine) and of cyclo-oxygenase (diclofenac), as well as dexamethasone, cyclosporine (CsA) and anti-Ia antibody, were evaluated on these parameters. Phospholipase A2 inhibitor EPC and dexamethasone were most effective on inflammation: they also reduced AA metabolites very effectively and prevented Ia-expression. Lipoxygenase and cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors were partially effective on inflammation and on AA metabolites but failed to prevent Ia-expression. Immunosuppressive treatments (CsA and anti-Ia-antibody) also reduced inflammation. Our findings suggest that inflammation mediators initiate inflammation in EIU. Ia-Ag-expression is secondarily produced by mediators leading to additional inflammation due to immune mediated mechanisms.
