Corneal and retinal effects of ultraviolet-B exposure in a soft contact lens mouse model

• Published in: Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 2012-04, Vol.53 (4), p.2403-2413
• Main Authors: Ibrahim, Osama M A, Kojima, Takashi, Wakamatsu, Tais Hitomi, Dogru, Murat, Matsumoto, Yukihiro, Ogawa, Yoko, Ogawa, Junko, Negishi, Kazuno, Shimazaki, Jun, Sakamoto, Yasuo, Sasaki, Hiroshi, Tsubota, Kazuo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Case-Control Studies; Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic; Cornea - pathology; Cornea - radiation effects; Cytokines - metabolism; Cytokines - radiation effects; DNA Damage; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Hydrogels - therapeutic use; Lipid Metabolism; Lipids - radiation effects; Lysine - metabolism; Lysine - radiation effects; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Oxidative Stress; Radiation Injuries, Experimental - prevention & control; Retina - pathology; Retina - radiation effects; Silicones - therapeutic use; Tears - chemistry; Ultraviolet Rays - adverse effects
• ISSN: 1552-5783; 1552-5783
• DOI: 10.1167/iovs.11-6863

To investigate the lipid and DNA oxidative stress as well as corneal and retinal effects after ultraviolet B (UV-B) exposure in mice, with or without silicon hydrogel soft contact lenses (SCL). Twenty-eight C57BL6-strain male mice were divided into four groups: group I, control group with no SCL (SCL [-]) and no UV-B exposure (UV-B [-]); group II, senofilcon A SCL (senofilcon [+]) with UV-B exposure (UV-B [+]); group III, lotrafilcon A SCL (lotrafilcon [+]) with UV-B exposure (UV-B [+]); and group IV, no SCL (SCL [-]), but with UV-B exposure (UV-B [+]). All mice except group I received UV-B exposure for 5 days for a total dose of 2.73 J/cm(2). All mice underwent tear hexanoyl-lysine (HEL) and tear cytokine ELISA measurements, and fluorescein and rose bengal corneal staining before and after UV-B exposure. Corneal specimens underwent immunohistochemistry staining with CD45, HEL, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) antibodies and evaluation with electron microscopy. All mice without SCL but exposed to UV-B developed corneal edema, ulcers, or epithelial damage compared with mice with senofilcon A SCL and exposure to UV-B. Tear HEL and cytokine levels significantly increased in mice without SCL after UV-B exposure. Immunohistochemistry showed a significantly higher number of cells positively stained for CD45, 8-OHdG, HEL, and 4-HNE in the corneas of mice without SCLs compared with those with senofilcon A after UV-B exposure. Silicon hydrogel SCL showed corneal and retinal protective effects, owing to UV blocking properties, against oxidative stress-related membrane lipid and cellular DNA damage.