Development of a new extended-wear contact lens model in the rat.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a rat model to experimentally monitor the potential inflammatory effects of soft contact lens (CL) usage on the cornea during extended wear (EW).


METHODS
Lewis rats were fitted with EW lotrafilcon A (CIBA Vision, Duluth, GA) hydrogel lenses (Dk/t 175 barrers/cm) in the left eye, the right eye serving as a control. After 12 days (n = 5 rats) and 30 days (n = 8 rats) of continuous extended wear, corneas were removed and total RNA was extracted from both CL-wearing and non-lens-wearing eyes. Multiprobe ribonuclease protection assays (RPA) were used to detect and compare cytokine and chemokine gene expression in corneas from both groups.


RESULTS
Cytokine-chemokine mRNA expression levels were similar for interleukin (IL)-1alpha, IL-1 receptor antagonist (RA), IL- 18, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1, TGF-beta2, TGF-beta3, and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) levels in CL-wearing and non-lens-wearing corneas after 12 or 30 days of EW.


CONCLUSIONS
This in vivo rat model for extended contact lens wear allows analysis and comparison of mRNA levels of cytokines and chemokines in the cornea with and without EW soft CL use. Remarkably, after 12 or 30 days of continuous CL wear, there was no significant up-regulation in lens wearing corneas for any of the cytokines-chemokines tested.
Szliter
Elizabeth A
EA
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
Morris
Carol A
CA
Carney
Fiona
F
Gabriel
Manal M
MM
Hazlett
Linda D
LD
D000818:Animals; D018925:Chemokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003262:Contact Lenses, Extended-Wear; D003315:Cornea / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D023421:Models, Animal; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate