Abstract
Rebamipide ophthalmic solution is a mucin secretagogue which is an important therapeutic agent in the treatment of dry eye. It has been noted that dry eye in office workers is associated with a decrease in secretory mucin. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of 2% rebamipide ophthalmic solution in mice subjected to environmental dry eye stress (EDES), which mimics the conditions of office workers. Thirty eyes from thirty BALB/c mice (eight-week-old males) were divided into three treatment groups: artificial tear (vehicle), 2% rebamipide ophthalmic solution, and 0.1% hyaluronic acid (HA) ophthalmic solution. After four days of pretreatment, mice were exposed to EDES for three days. The corneal subbasal nerve and inflammatory cells were then examined using in vivo confocal microscopy. Following EDES exposure, the lissamine green staining score was significantly lower and corneal sensitivity was more preserved in the 2% rebamipide group than in the HA group. In addition, the subbasal nerve fiber density was significantly higher and the DC density was significantly lower in the 2% rebamipide group than in the HA group. Overall, the topical rebamipide ophthalmic solution showed more favorable therapeutic effects when compared to the HA ophthalmic solution in a mouse model of EDES, likely owing to its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects.
Highlights
Prevalence of definite or probable dry eye in office workers was reported to be high at 60.2% for men and 76.5% for women, according to the study by Uchino et al [1]
We showed that a decreased corneal subbasal nerve density and increased dendritic cell (DC) numbers were detected after short-term exposure to environmental dry eye stress [3]
This study aimed to compare the effects of 2% rebamipide eye drops with 0.1% sodium hyaluronate (HA) eye drops on tear function, ocular surface abnormalities, corneal sensation, and subbasal corneal nerves in male BALB/c mice after exposure to environmental dry eye stress model (EDES) by in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM)
Summary
Prevalence of definite or probable dry eye in office workers was reported to be high at 60.2% for men and 76.5% for women, according to the study by Uchino et al [1]. It seems that office workers are affected by long-time visual display terminal (VDT) work, dry environment by air conditioning, and mental stress by sitting and working at the same place. The number of nerves supplying epithelial proliferation, integrity, and viability were found to be decreased in various ocular surface and systemic diseases, leading to disorders of the ocular surface and decreased aqueous tear secretion [9,10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
