Table 3

Summary of recent investigations on molecular mechanisms of altered diabetic corneal wound healing after injury

AuthorModelComparisonFindings
Yamamoto et al1STZ-treated diabetic rat.Comparison of cornea epithelial lumican levels at baseline and at 0 hour, 14 hours and 25 hours after the corneal abrasion between STZ-treated rats and controls.Differential lumican expression levels in the cornea after injury in STZ-treated mice compared with controls.
Huang et al3STZ-treated diabetic mice.Comparison of occludin expression in the corneal epithelium of the STZ-treated mice versus controls 16 and 48 hours after cornea epithelial debridement.Weaker occludin expression levels in corneal epithelium of STZ-treated mice compared with controls.
Royer et al40Rag2 knockout (OT-II) T-cell receptor transgenic mice.Comparison of corneas harvested from mice 6 days after scratch injury, ragweed pollen–induced allergy or herpes simplex virus type 1 infection versus healthy tissue controls.Corneal epithelial cells exhibited myeloid cell lineage characteristics.
Yan et al43DIO diabetic mice.Comparison of immune cell count and level of secretory interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (sIL-1Ra) after cornea epithelial injury in diabetic corneas versus controls.A reduction in neutrophil and natural killer (NK) cell infiltration during wound closure response in diabetic corneas is associated with lower levels of IL-1Ra.
Kneer et al2DIO diabetic miceComparison of P2×7 expression and localization at baseline and 12 hours after injury in diabetic mice versus controls.A significant reduction in cornea sub-basal nerve density is noted in diabetic mice compared with controls.
P2×7 was significantly overexpressed in the cornea epithelium of diabetic mice compared with controls.
Dai et al11db/db mice (in vivo) and trigeminal ganglion (TG) neuronal cells (in vitro).In vivo – comparison of NPFF expression in db/db mice compared with controls.
In vitro – dendrite length of TG sensory neurons in hyperglycemic conditions versus controls, with or without exogenous NPFF.
NPFF expression was significantly lower in the TG tissues in diabetic mice compared with controls.
  • DIO, diet-induced obesity; IL, interleukin; NPFF, neuropeptide FF; P2×7, P2X purinoceptor 7; sIL-1Ra, secreted form of IL-1 receptor antagonist; STZ, streptozocin.