Treatment of keratoconjunctivitis sicca in rabbits with 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine
J. P. Gilbard
Schepens Eye Research Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of topical 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine
treatment on tear-film osmolarity, conjunctival goblet-cell densities, and
corneal epithelial glycogen levels in a rabbit model for
keratoconjunctivitis sicca. METHODS: Keratoconjunctivitis sicca was
surgically induced in the right eyes of 16 rabbits. In a masked protocol,
eight of these operated-on eyes underwent treatment for 12 weeks with a
3.0-mmol solution of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. The remaining eight
operated-on eyes were left untreated and served as controls. RESULTS: The
3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine treatment resulted in a rapid and significant
decrease in tear osmolarity and sodium (P < .5) and potassium levels (P
< .05) and a significant increase in conjunctival goblet-cell densities
and corneal epithelial glycogen levels compared with untreated and
operated-on controls (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS:
3-Isobutyl-1-methylxanthine rapidly and significantly decreased tear-film
osmolarity in this rabbit model for keratoconjunctivitis sicca and restored
conjunctival goblet-cell densities and corneal glycogen levels, thus
reversing the disease process.
