Shi Meng, Zhang Lingling, Ye Eun-Ah, Wang Alice, Li Guangyu, Chen Lu
Vision Science Graduate Program, Center for Eye Disease and Development, and School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.
Vision Science Graduate Program, Center for Eye Disease and Development, and School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Ocul Surf. 2020 Jul;18(3):505-510. doi: 10.1016/j.jtos.2020.03.002. Epub 2020 Mar 12.
This study is to investigate the potential effect of aqueous humor on already formed lymphatic vessels of the ocular surface including the conjunctiva and the cornea.
Aqueous humor harvested from fresh bovine or murine eyeballs were used in the study. It was injected into the subconjunctival space of Prox-1-GFP (green fluorescent protein) transgenic mice. Pre-existing conjunctival lymphatics were observed in vivo using our advanced live imaging system. Additionally, ex vivo tissue cultures were performed in aqueous humor with normal conjunctival tissues or inflamed corneas with newly formed lymphatic vessels. Time lapse images were taken by an advanced live cell imaging system with an incubator. Moreover, human primary microdermal lymphatic endothelial cell culture system was employed to evaluate the effect of aqueous humor on lymphatic tube regression in vitro.
Aqueous humor induced lymphatic regression in both normal conjunctiva and inflamed corneas. It also led to the regression of formed lymphatic tubes by the lymphatic endothelial cells in vitro.
This study provides the first direct and real time live imaging evidence showing that aqueous humor induces lymphatic regression. Further investigation promises for divulging new mechanisms and therapeutic strategies to treat lymphatic diseases that occur both inside and outside the eye.
本研究旨在探讨房水对眼表已形成的淋巴管（包括结膜和角膜淋巴管）的潜在影响。
本研究使用从新鲜牛眼或鼠眼中采集的房水。将其注射到Prox-1-绿色荧光蛋白（GFP）转基因小鼠的结膜下间隙。使用我们先进的实时成像系统在体内观察已存在的结膜淋巴管。此外，用正常结膜组织或带有新形成淋巴管的炎症角膜在房水中进行离体组织培养。通过带有培养箱的先进活细胞成像系统拍摄延时图像。此外，采用人原代微皮肤淋巴管内皮细胞培养系统在体外评估房水对淋巴管消退的影响。
房水可诱导正常结膜和炎症角膜中的淋巴管消退。它还导致体外淋巴管内皮细胞形成的淋巴管消退。
本研究提供了首个直接的实时活体成像证据，表明房水可诱导淋巴管消退。进一步的研究有望揭示治疗眼内外发生的淋巴疾病的新机制和治疗策略。
