[HTML][HTML] Diabetes mellitus leads to accumulation of dendritic cells and nerve fiber damage of the subbasal nerve plexus in the cornea
K Leppin, AK Behrendt, M Reichard… - … & visual science, 2014 - tvst.arvojournals.org
K Leppin, AK Behrendt, M Reichard, O Stachs, RF Guthoff, S Baltrusch, JC Eule, B Vollmar
Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2014•tvst.arvojournals.orgPurpose.: To evaluate whether nerve fibers of the subbasal nerve plexus (SNP) and
dendritic cells (DCs) are in association with each other leading to neuropathy in the diabetic
cornea. Methods.: BALB/c mice were injected with streptozotocin (STZ) for 5 days for
induction of diabetes mellitus (DM) or with vehicle solution (control). B6. VLep ob/ob (ob/ob)
mice served as an obese and glucose-intolerant DM type 2 (DM II) model and lean B6. VLep
ob/+(ob/+) mice as respective controls. Using in vivo corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) …
dendritic cells (DCs) are in association with each other leading to neuropathy in the diabetic
cornea. Methods.: BALB/c mice were injected with streptozotocin (STZ) for 5 days for
induction of diabetes mellitus (DM) or with vehicle solution (control). B6. VLep ob/ob (ob/ob)
mice served as an obese and glucose-intolerant DM type 2 (DM II) model and lean B6. VLep
ob/+(ob/+) mice as respective controls. Using in vivo corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) …
Abstract
Purpose.: To evaluate whether nerve fibers of the subbasal nerve plexus (SNP) and dendritic cells (DCs) are in association with each other leading to neuropathy in the diabetic cornea.
Methods.: BALB/c mice were injected with streptozotocin (STZ) for 5 days for induction of diabetes mellitus (DM) or with vehicle solution (control). B6. VLep ob/ob (ob/ob) mice served as an obese and glucose-intolerant DM type 2 (DM II) model and lean B6. VLep ob/+(ob/+) mice as respective controls. Using in vivo corneal confocal microscopy (CCM), nerve fibers and DCs were quantified over a period of 9 weeks and additionally analyzed by in vitro immunofluorescence whole-mount staining.
Results.: In STZ-diabetic mice, CCM revealed an increase of DC density (DCD) in contrast to controls, whereas nerve fiber density (NFD) was decreased with duration of DM. In ob/ob mice, DCD was 3-fold higher than in both ob/+ mice and STZ-diabetic mice. Whole-mount staining displayed CD11c (+) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II (+) mature DCs in colocalization with class III β-tubulin (+) nerve fibers in the cornea.
Conclusions.: Hyperglycemia leads to corneal DC infiltration, and obesity aggravates this immune response. The direct contact between DCs and the SNP can be assumed to be a trigger of nerve fiber damage and thus a contributing factor to polyneuropathy in diabetic corneas.
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