Abstract
Hyaluronic acid (HA) ophthalmic solution is widely used in dry eye treatment worldwide. However, there are no reports comparing the dry eye treatment effects of high molecular weight HA with low molecular weight HA. Sixty eight-week-old C57BL/6 mice were assigned to the following 6 groups and exposed to environmental dry eye stress (EDES) that mimics office work environment: (1) 0.1% low molecular weight HA (LMWHA) eye drops, (2) 0.3% LMWHA eye drops, (3) 3% diquafosol sodium (DQ) eye drops, (4) 0.15% high molecular weight HA (HMWHA) eye drops, (5) no treatment with exposure to EDES (EDES+/Treatment−), and (6) no treatment without exposure to EDES (EDES−/Treatment−). After EDES, the HMWHA group had significantly longer break-up time (BUT) than the 0.1%, 0.3% LMWHA groups and the DQ group. After EDES, the HMWHA group had significantly lower lissamine green staining scores than the LMWHA and DQ groups. Subepithelial presumed dendritic cell density in the HMWHA group was significantly lower than the EDES+/Treatment− group. After EDES exposure, Conjunctival Muc5AC mRNA expression in the HMWHA group was significantly higher than the 0.1 and 0.3% LMWHA groups. Ophthalmic HMWHA solution may have a better dry eye treatment effect than LMWHA or DQ solution, owing to its anti-inflammatory effect.
Highlights
Large epidemiological studies have reported a dry eye prevalence of 10.1% for men and 20.1% for women in office workers [1]
Tear secretion volume significantly decreased in the 0.1% low molecular weight HA (LMWHA), 0.3% LMWHA and environmental dry eye stress (EDES)+/Treatment− groups
In the 0.1% LMWHA, 0.3% LMWHA, diquafosol sodium (DQ), and EDES+/Treatment− groups, tear break-up time (TBUT) significantly decreased after exposure to EDES (0.1% LMWHA group, 0.3% LMWHA group, DQ group: p < 0.001, EDES+/Treatment− group: p = 0.012) (Figure 2)
Summary
Large epidemiological studies have reported a dry eye prevalence of 10.1% for men and 20.1% for women in office workers [1]. It has been pointed out that dry eye in visual display terminal (VDT) workers is associated with lacrimal gland dysfunction [3] or a decrease in MUC5AC concentration in tears [4]. This is in accordance with a previous study which reported desiccating stress induced T cell-mediated inflammation of the cornea, conjunctiva, and lacrimal gland, including decreased tear secretion and loss of conjunctival goblet cells in mice [5,6]
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