Abstract
One of the inflammatory responses of the eye to local application of platelet-activating factor (PAF) is oedema of the conjunctiva, caused by extravasation of plasma. Aim of the study was to investigate if fluorescein would leak from the blood into the tears together with plasma protein after application of PAF to the eye. Fluorescein was given intraperitoneally 30 min prior to application of 25 μl of 0.1% solution of PAF. Thirty min after PAF the tear film was collected by washing the surface of the eye with 25 μl of phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Fluorescein in eye washings and in plasma was measured by fluorophotometry and albumin by immunodiffusion. Both fluorescein and albumin appeared in a related fashion in tears, being absent in washings of placebo-treated control eyes. Extravasation of fluorescein can be used as a measure for plasma leakage in the conjunctiva with the advantage over the Evans Blue method that the former is a non-invasive method.
Highlights
The blood ±tear barrier, causing the large concentration differences between tear and blood components, is formed by the acinar and ductal cells of the lacrimal gland and by the conjunctival and corneal epithelium at the surface of the eye.Breakdown of the blood ±tear barrier occurs in allergic conjunctivitis, where increased vascular permeability has been described as an important feature.[1]
In guinea pigs topical application of platelet activating factor (PAF) on the eye produces within 30 min a dose-dependent increase of the vascular permeability of the conjunctiva, as determined by measurement of the serum albumin concentration in lavage uid of the surface of the eye.[1]
The aim of the present study is to investigate if application of PAF to the eye might cause leakage of intraperitoneal injected uorescein from blood into the tears together with serum albumin
Summary
The blood ±tear barrier, causing the large concentration differences between tear and blood components, is formed by the acinar and ductal cells of the lacrimal gland and by the conjunctival and corneal epithelium at the surface of the eye.Breakdown of the blood ±tear barrier occurs in allergic conjunctivitis, where increased vascular permeability has been described as an important feature.[1]. The blood ±tear barrier, causing the large concentration differences between tear and blood components, is formed by the acinar and ductal cells of the lacrimal gland and by the conjunctival and corneal epithelium at the surface of the eye. The aim of the present study is to investigate if application of PAF to the eye might cause leakage of intraperitoneal injected uorescein from blood into the tears together with serum albumin. Both uorescein and albumin appeared signi cantly correlated in the eye washings after application of PAF
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