PURPOSE Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is one of the most powerful bacterial virulence factors in terms of proinflammatory properties and is likely to contribute to corneal bacterial keratitis. Better understanding of the spatial expression of the LPS receptor components at the tear-corneal interface might facilitate enhanced functions of the LPS receptor complex in ocular defense against Gram-negati...

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, conjunctival scarring, fibrosis, metaplasia, and shrinkage developed in 27 patients as an adverse reaction to practolol. Rashes, nasal and mucosal ulceration, fibrous or plastic peritonitis, pleurisy, cochlear damage, and secretory otitis media also occurred in some cases. Three patients suffered profound visual loss though most retained good vision. Symptoms and sig...

Histologic changes in lacrimal glands of vitamin A-deficient (A-) and pair-fed control rats were compared. In A- lacrimal glands, secretory granules were strikingly diminished, and rough endoplasmic reticulum appeared somewhat atrophic. Nuclei of acinar cells were hyperchromatic and pleomorphic. Using alcian blue-PAS, no positive staining was present in acini of A- lacrimal glands, whereas in c...

The lacrimal gland has a multifaceted role in maintaining a homeostatic microenvironment for a healthy ocular surface via tear secretion. Dry-eye disease, which is caused by lacrimal gland dysfunction, is one of the most prevalent eye diseases that cause corneal epithelial damage and results in significant loss of vision and a reduction in the quality of life. Here we demonstrate orthotopic tra...

Chronic smoking has negative effects on the ocular surface; chronic smokers had lower Schirmer scores in the corneas [1], a higher degree of squamous metaplasia [2,3], a higher grade of lipid layer changes in tears [3], and lower tear film break-up time compared with non-smokers [1-4]. Smoking also affects tear secretion and protein components in tears [5,6]. Furthermore, cigarette smoking may ...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of topical application of apricot kernel extract (AKE) in a unilateral exorbital lacrimal gland excision mouse model of experimental dry eye. Dry eye was induced by surgical removal of the lacrimal gland. Eye drops containing 0.5 or 1 mg/mL AKE were administered twice a day from day 3 to day 7 after surgery. Tear fluid volume ...

Sex steroid deficiency has been linked to the development and/or progression of a wide variety of clinical disorders, including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, obesity, insulin resistance and certain cancers. We hypothesize that sex steroid deficiency specifically that of androgens, may also be a critical pathogenetic factor in the etiology of dry eye syndromes. Dry eye syndromes are a le...