The Effect of High Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid and Latanoprost Eyedrops on Tear Functions and Ocular Surface Status in C57/BL6 Mice

Abstract

Anti-glaucoma eye drop treatment often induces ocular surface problems, including dry eyes, and may be associated with poor medication compliance. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a novel high molecular weight hyaluronic acid and Latanoprost eye drop on intraocular pressure, as well as the tear function and ocular surface alterations in wild type mice, comparing the results with the mice receiving commercially available Latanoprost eye drops and mice receiving no treatment. The mice were divided into three groups: Group I, control group (no treatment group); Group II, commercial Latanoprost eye drop (LP); and Group III, Comfort Shield (CS) + Latanoprost (LP) eye drop (CS + LP). The CS+LP eye drop group had an IOP lowering effect comparable to the commercial LP eye drop group. The mice receiving LP eye drops had significantly worse corneal staining scores, lesser goblet cell density(GCD), higher numbers of CD45+ staining cells, significantly higher tear film concentrations of IL-6 and IL1-b, and a significantly lower expression of corneal ZO-1 mRNA compared with the mice receiving CS + LP 7 days after eye drop instillations (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the new CS+LP formulation appeared to induce less inflammation, less corneal vital staining, and a better barrier status with an IOP lowering effect comparable to the commercial LP eye drops.

Therapeutic Aqueous Humor Concentrations of Latanoprost Attained in Rats by Administration in a Very-High-Molecular-Weight Hyaluronic Acid Eye Drop

“…A previous trial on humans reflected more effective IOP lowering by LPvHiHA containing 20 µg/mL LP than by commercial eye drops containing 50 µg/mL LP [ 43 ]. The combination of more effective transport of the active ingredient into the AH with less ocular surface inflammation may explain this observation [ 20 ]. Our data suggest that LPvHiHA produces better LP transport to the AH than cLP and dLP.…”

“…We previously demonstrated that the delivery of LP in an eye drop with vHiHA (LPvHiHA) had favorable effects on ocular surface staining and tear functions [ 20 ]. Indeed, more recent data indicated that the ocular surface of wild-type (WT) mice receiving LPvHiHA eye drops over 7 days was in better health than that of mice receiving a commercial LP (cLP) eye drop.…”

“…Indeed, more recent data indicated that the ocular surface of wild-type (WT) mice receiving LPvHiHA eye drops over 7 days was in better health than that of mice receiving a commercial LP (cLP) eye drop. This improvement was witnessed through the significantly lower corneal vital staining scores, stronger ZO-1 mRNA expression, and higher conjunctival goblet cell densities [ 20 ]. In fact, the mice administered LPvHiHA also had significantly less ocular surface–tear film inflammation, as evident through the significantly fewer conjunctival inflammatory CD45+ stained cells and lower tear IL-6, as well as lower IL-1b levels [ 20 ].…”

“…This improvement was witnessed through the significantly lower corneal vital staining scores, stronger ZO-1 mRNA expression, and higher conjunctival goblet cell densities [ 20 ]. In fact, the mice administered LPvHiHA also had significantly less ocular surface–tear film inflammation, as evident through the significantly fewer conjunctival inflammatory CD45+ stained cells and lower tear IL-6, as well as lower IL-1b levels [ 20 ]. However, whether these favorable effects were due to better penetration into the aqueous humor (AH) remain to be assessed.…”