Experimental uveitis. Elicited by peptidoglycan-polysaccharide complexes, lipopolysaccharide, and muramyl dipeptide
A. Fox, M. E. Hammer, P. Lill, T. G. Burch and G. Burrish
Uveitis could be a reaction to bacterial debris disseminated to the eye
from extraocular sites of infection. In this study, we relate the
composition of several bacterial components to their inflammatory
properties in the eye. Groups of rabbits were injected intravitreously with
peptidoglycan-polysaccharide (PG-PS) complexes isolated from group A
streptococci, Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or synthetic
muramyl dipeptide (MDP). The lipid A region of LPS and the glycan backbone
of PG are chemical analogues; MDP is the minimal biologically active
subunit of PG. All of these molecules elicited uveitis as observed both
clinically and histologically. The MDP elicited an acute inflammation
characterized by a heterophil and monocyte infiltrate that subsided within
16 days. The PG-PS and LPS elicited chronic inflammation characterized by
mononuclear and lymphocyte infiltration and severe necrosis of the retina.
