A novel porcine dry eye model system (pDEM) with simulated lacrimation/blinking system: preliminary findings on system variability and effect of corneal drying.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate inter- and intra-system variations and the effect of corneal drying using a recently developed pDEM.


METHODS
pDEM was used to simulate "normal" and "dry eye" conditions using two "lacrimation-blink" intervals (20 s and 60 s). Corneas were examined/graded with sodium fluorescein before and after the experiment. At the end of each experiment, corneas were assessed by trypan blue exclusion technique. Two duplicated pDEM systems were set up and tested to investigate reproducibility.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference in the results produced by the two pDEM systems. In the eyes under "normal" condition, there was no significant increase in the fluorescein grading. However, in eyes under "dry eye" condition, fluorescein staining increased and the number of non-viable cells in the central cornea increased.


CONCLUSIONS
This novel pDEM system provides a useful assessment tool for the study of causative factors and new treatment strategies for dry eye syndrome.
Choy
Emily Pik Yin
EP
Department of Optometry and Radiography, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China. oremily.choy@polyu.edu.hk
Cho
Pauline
P
Benzie
Iris Frances Forster
IF
Choy
Camus Kar Man
CK
To
Tony Shing Shun
TS
D000818:Animals; D001767:Blinking / Q000502:physiology*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003315:Cornea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019793:Fluorescein; D007765:Lacrimal Apparatus / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine; D014343:Trypan Blue
D004396:Coloring Agents; D014343:Trypan Blue; D019793:Fluorescein