1. Conjunctival instillation of plasminogen eliminates ocular lesion in B6.129P2-Plg(tm1Jld) transgenic mice, a model of ligneous conjunctivitis
- Author
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Antonella Scorziello, G.F. Di Renzo, Giuseppe Pignataro, Antonio Vinciguerra, Ornella Cuomo, Rossana Sirabella, Pignataro, Giuseppe, Vinciguerra, A, Cuomo, Ornella, Sirabella, Rossana, DI RENZO, GIANFRANCO MARIA LUIGI, and Scorziello, Antonella
- Subjects
Genetically modified mouse ,Male ,Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,genetic structures ,Administration, Topical ,Mice, Transgenic ,Eye ,Pharmacological treatment ,Lesion ,Mice ,Ligneous conjunctivitis ,medicine ,Animals ,Decreased plasminogen antigen ,Pharmacology ,business.industry ,Eye lesion ,Plasminogen ,medicine.disease ,Conjunctivitis ,eye diseases ,Ligneous conjunctiviti ,Disease Models, Animal ,Palpebral fissure ,Computerized system ,Ocular lesion ,medicine.symptom ,Ophthalmic Solutions ,business ,B6.129P2-Plgtm1Jld transgenic mice - Abstract
Ligneous conjunctivitis is a severe and rare chronic “idiopathic membraneous” conjunctivitis, characterized by the formation of pseudomembranes mostly on the palpebral surfaces that progressively replace the normal mucosa. Evidence has been provided that ligneous conjunctivitis is caused by a severe systemic plasminogen deficiency with decreased plasminogen antigen and decreased plasminogen functional activities. Objective of the present study is to verify the hypothesis that a topical eye application of plasminogen is able to ameliorate the consequences of this disease. Here we report the results of pre-clinical studies performed to investigate the therapeutic effectiveness of an eye-drop plasminogen preparation in B6.129P2-Plg tm1Jld transgenic mice, a model of ligneous conjunctivitis. The entity of protection mediated by plasminogen was evaluated by measuring the extent of the eye lesion by means of a computerized system and dedicated software. The results of the present study clearly showed that the administration for six times a day of plasminogen eye-drop solution in the lesioned eye of animals knock-out for plasminogen gene and developing ligneous conjunctivitis caused a dose and time related reduction of the extent of the ocular lesion. These findings may pave the road for the pharmacological treatment of the ocular lesion associated to the ligneous conjunctivitis that at the present is surgically treated by removing the pseudomembranes generated on the eye.
- Published
- 2013