Thrombospondin-1 accelerates wound healing of corneal epithelia.
To investigate a role of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), a multifunctional extracellular matrix protein, in corneal epithelial wound healing, we analyzed the expression of TSP-1 in the normal and wounded mouse corneal epithelia and the effect of exogenous TSP-1 on the wound healing. In immunohistochemical analyses of unwounded corneas, TSP-1 was only detectable in endothelial cells. In contrast, TSP-1 appeared on the wounded corneal surface and on the corneal stroma, at 30 min and 8-16 h, respectively, after making an abrasion on the corneal epithelium. This expression of TSP-1 disappeared after 36-48 h, when re-epithelialization was completed. The TSP-1 mRNA level in the wounded corneas increased as much as three fold compared with that in the unwounded corneas. In organ culture, exogenous TSP-1 stimulated the re-epithelialization of corneal epithelial wounds whereas anti-TSP-1 antibody significantly inhibited the re-epithelialization. These findings suggest the possibility that epithelial defects in the corneas stimulate the expression of TSP-1 in the wound area, resulting in the accelerated re-epithelialization of the cornea.
Department of Ophthalmology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan. uno6@mac.com
Koichi
K
Uno
Hideyuki
H
Hayashi
Motomu
M
Kuroki
Hiroko
H
Uchida
Yasushi
Y
Yamauchi
Masahide
M
Kuroki
Kenji
K
Oshima
D000818:Animals; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D015590:Fluorophotometry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019700:Thrombospondin 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019700:Thrombospondin 1