PURPOSE MRL/MpJ-fas+/fas+ (MRL/+) and MRL/MpJ-fas(lpr)/fas(lpr) (MRL/lpr) mice undergo spontaneous development of inflammation of the lacrimal and salivary glands, similar to that in the human disorder Sjögren's syndrome. Previous work has shown that these lesions appear to be largely T helper (Th)-2-driven, as evidenced by the substantially greater expression of IL-4 than interferon-gamma. The...

Commensal bacteria play an important role in the formation of the immune system but their role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis at the ocular surface and lacrimal gland remains poorly understood. This study investigated the eye and lacrimal gland phenotype in germ-free and conventional C57BL/6J mice. Our results showed that germ-free mice had significantly greater corneal barrier disrup...

Dry eye syndrome is an eye disorder affecting many people at an old age. Because dry eye syndrome is accelerated by aging, a useful approach to the prevention of this syndrome may be an intervention into the aging process. Previously, we showed that the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SkQ1 delays manifestations of aging and inhibits the development of age-related diseases including dry eye sy...

The rabbit has been a useful model for in vivo studies of the pharmacologic control of lacrimal gland fluid secretion. However, by contrast with rodent exorbital lacrimal glands, the rabbit lacrimal gland has not been subjected to detailed cellular, subcellular, or biochemical analyses. Procedures were developed to isolate rabbit lacrimal acini by collagenase digestion and mechanical dispersion...

CT and MRI are utilized to differentiate between different types of masses and to determine the extent of lesions involving the lacrimal gland and the fossa. Although many diseases that affect the lacrimal gland and fossa are specifically diagnosed by imaging, it is frequently very difficult to differentiate each specific disease on the basis of image characteristics alone due to intrinsic simi...

The lacrimal apparatus The lacrimal system consists of: 1Secretory portion: Comprises the following: aThe lacrimal gland: Which is divided into palpebral (Aqueoussecretion) (near the temporal aspect of upper eyelid) and orbital (near the eyeball) lobes, and it is situated in the upper temporal angle of the orbit. bAccessory lacrimal glands: glands of Krause and glands of wolfring. cMeibomian gl...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the histochemical distribution of carbonic anhydrase (CA) in lacrimal glands from rats and rabbits; and to determine if age- and/or sex-related differences exist in the amount and distribution of CA in the rat lacrimal gland. METHODS Lacrimal glands from young (3-12 wk) and aged (2-2.5 yr), male and female F344 rats and male rabbits were fixed ...

Proptosis in children may be an ominous sign suggesting rhabdomyosarcoma, lymphoma, metastatic neuroblastoma, Ewing sarcoma, eosinophilic granuloma, or orbital cellulitis , among others [1]. Ectopic lacrimal gland tissue within the orbit is an uncommon etiology of proptosis in infants and children [2], although it may be more common in adults [2] . We describe two cases of proptosis in children...

A 48-year-old lorry driver presented with 3 weeks of blurred vision, pain and diplopia. There was a right upper lid ptosis with some restriction of eye movements. A CT revealed an enlarged lacrimal gland and lacrimal gland biopsy showed IgG4-positive plasma cells. The patient responded to oral prednisolone and fully recovered. As a condition which mimics a number of diseases, an IgG4-related di...

The clinical demonstration of the ductular orifices of the human lacrimal gland is reported. Lacrimal fluid secretion can be shown after instillation of 2% sodium fluorescein. Ductular orifices are visible on biomicroscopy. In keratoconjunctivitis sicca the lacrimal fluid streams appear normal, or to be diminished or absent.