TNF-alpha production in the cornea in response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa challenge.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause ulcerative bacterial keratitis or contact lens-induced acute red eye (CLARE) in humans. The present study used a mouse model of ocular infection and inflammation to examine the relationship between TNF-alpha and inflammation in the cornea in response to challenge with either a strain of P. aeruginosa causing keratitis or a CLARE strain. Constitutive TNF-alpha mRNA was detected in the epithelium, mainly towards the periphery. After infection with the keratitis-inducing strain (6294), TNF-alpha expression was elevated four-fold by 24 h post-challenge. No detectable induction of TNF-alpha mRNA was seen with CLARE strain (Paer1) challenge at any time point. The TNF-alpha protein production detected by ELISA showed a corresponding pattern to the mRNA expression, which also correlated with pathological changes. These results suggest that invasive strains of P. aeruginosa create greater pathological changes as a result of elevated TNF-alpha production, which contributes to inflammation during keratitis in vivo.
Cole
N
N
Cooperative Research Centre for Eye Research and Technology, School of Optometry, University of New South Wales, Australia.
Bao
S
S
Willcox
M
M
Husband
A J
AJ
D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha