Interleukin-4 is not critical to pathogenesis in a mouse model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa corneal infection.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the contribution of interleukin-4 (IL-4) to the initial host response during corneal infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a mouse model.


METHODS
Corneas of 6- to 8-week-old IL-4(-/-) and wild-type mice were topically challenged with P. aeruginosa. Ocular tissue was collected 24 hr and 7 days postchallenge. Viable bacterial counts, myeloperoxidase assays, cytokine levels, and clinical and histological examinations were performed.


RESULTS
During challenge with P. aeruginosa, no differences were observed clinically, histologically, or in bacterial load between IL-4(-/-) and wild-type mice at either time point. However, differences in cytokine levels of IL-6, KC, and IL-10 were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The data presented indicate that IL-4, a central Th2 cytokine, may not be critical to the pathogenesis or bacterial clearance in this model of P. aeruginosa bacterial keratitis during the early stages of the infectious process.
Cole
Nerida
N
Institute for Eye Research, Kensington, NSW, Australia. nerida@pharm.usyd.edu.au
Hume
Emma
E
Khan
Shamila
S
Krockenberger
Mark
M
Thakur
Archana
A
Husband
Alan J
AJ
Willcox
Mark D P
MD
D000818:Animals; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000502:physiology*; D007634:Keratitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000502:physiology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D015847:Interleukin-4; D009195:Peroxidase