Abstract
Purpose. Both activated keratocytes and infiltrated polymor-phonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) contribute to corneal ulceration by degrading stromal collagen. The regulation of such collagen degradation by inflammatory cytokines was investigated with rabbit keratocytes and PMNs cultured in three-dimensional collagen gels. Methods. Rabbit keratocytes or PMNs were cultured for 24 h in three-dimensional gels of type I collagen in the presence of plasminogen and various concentrations of either interleukin (IL)-1a, IL-6, IL-8, or tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a). Degradation of collagen during culture was assessed by measurement of released hydroxyproline. Results. IL-1a increased the amount of collagen degraded by keratocytes or PMNs in a dose-dependent manner, whereas IL-6 had no effect on collagen degradation by either cell type. IL-8 increased the extent of collagen degradation by PMNs but not that by keratocytes, and TNF-a promoted collagen degradation by keratocytes but not that by PMNs. Conclusion. Inflammatory cytokines regulate collagen degradation by rabbit keratocytes and PMNs in culture in a differential manner, and therefore may contribute to the roles of these cells in corneal ulceration.
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