title: Effects of a warm compress containing menthol on the tear film in healthy subjects and dry eye patients.
abstract: Menthol is thought to stimulate lacrimation via activation of cold-sensitive primary afferent neurons in the cornea. We evaluated a warm compress containing menthol as a potential treatment for dry eye by examining its effects on the tear film in healthy subjects (n = 20) and dry eye patients (n = 35). Disposable eyelid-warming steamers that either did (MH) or did not (HO) contain menthol were applied to one eye of each subject either once only for 10 min or repeatedly over 2 weeks. Single application of MH significantly increased tear meniscus volume (P = 8.6 × 10-5, P = 1.3 × 10-5) and tear film breakup time (P = 0.006, P = 0.002) as well as improved meibum condition in healthy subjects and dry eye patients, respectively. Repeated application of MH significantly increased tear meniscus volume (P = 0.004, P = 1.7 × 10-4) and tear film breakup time (P = 0.037, P = 0.010) in healthy subjects and dry eye patients, respectively. Repeated application of MH thus induced persistent increases in tear fluid volume and tear film stability in dry eye patients, suggesting that repeated use of a warm compress containing menthol is a potential novel treatment for dry eye disease.
authors.affiliation: Itoh Clinic, 626-11 Minami-Nakano, Minuma-ku, Saitama, Saitama 337-0042, Japan.|Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0016, Japan.|Lid and Meibomian Gland Working Group, 2-11-15-1401 Koishikawa, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 1120002, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arita
authors.affiliation: Lid and Meibomian Gland Working Group, 2-11-15-1401 Koishikawa, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 1120002, Japan.|Division of Cornea and Ocular Surface, Ohshima Eye Hospital, 11-8 Kami-Gofukumachi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-0036, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morishige
authors.affiliation: Personal Health Care Products Research Laboratories, Kao Corporation, 2-1-3 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Personal Health Care Products Research Laboratories, Kao Corporation, 2-1-3 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.affiliation: Personal Health Care Products Research Laboratories, Kao Corporation, 2-1-3 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.affiliation: Personal Health Care Products Research Laboratories, Kao Corporation, 2-1-3 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Michihito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Igaki
authors.affiliation: Personal Health Care Products Research Laboratories, Kao Corporation, 2-1-3 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Itoh Clinic, 626-11 Minami-Nakano, Minuma-ku, Saitama, Saitama 337-0042, Japan.
authors.forename: Kouzo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0016, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsubota
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005143:Eyelids / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008610:Menthol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013666:Tears
chemical_list: D008610:Menthol