Effect of Diquafosol Ophthalmic Solution on Airflow-Induced Ocular Surface Disorder in Diabetic Rats.

Purpose: To examine the effect of 3% diquafosol ophthalmic solution (DQS) on ocular surface disorders in diabetic model rats maintained in a continuous airflow condition.

Methods: Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, a spontaneous model of type 2 diabetes, were exposed to constant airflow for 8 weeks. After the establishment of the animal model in this environment, DQS or saline was instilled six times a day into GK rat eyes for 6 weeks.

Comparison of ultrastructure, tight junction-related protein expression and barrier function of human corneal epithelial cells cultivated on amniotic membrane with and without air-lifting.

Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of the air-lifting technique for culturing corneal limbal epithelial cells on amniotic membrane (AM) for use in ocular surface reconstruction. A cultured sheet that has a good barrier function should be better for this purpose. In corneal epithelium, tight junctions (TJ) play a vital role in the barrier function.

Tight junction-related protein expression and distribution in human corneal epithelium.

Purpose: To investigate the expression and cellular distribution of the tight junction-related proteins occludin, claudin and ZO-1 in human corneal epithelium.

Methods: Light and electron immunohistochemistry was used to determine tissue distribution of occludin, claudin-1 and ZO-1 in the human corneal epithelium. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to reveal claudin mRNA expression in human corneal epithelium.

Changes in conjunctival clusterin expression in severe ocular surface disease.

Purpose: Clusterin is a unique gene transcript in the human ocular surface epithelia and is synthesized by and localized in mucosal epithelia in general. It is not present, however, in keratinized epithelia, such as epidermis. In severe ocular surface disease, pathologic keratinization (squamous metaplasia) of the ordinarily nonkeratinized corneal and conjunctival mucosal epithelia results in severe visual loss.