These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Effects of a selective glucocorticoid receptor agonist on experimental keratoplasty.
    Author: Pleyer U, Yang J, Knapp S, Schäcke H, Schmees N, Orlic N, Otasevic L, De Ruijter M, Ritter T, Keipert S.
    Journal: Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol; 2005 May; 243(5):450-5. PubMed ID: 15821926.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: New insights into the molecular mechanisms of corticosteroid-mediated actions have revealed new substances, such as selective glucocorticoid receptor agonists (SEGRA), for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. We set out to evaluate the effect of a SEGRA compound following topical application on the course of experimental orthotopic corneal grafts. METHODS: A total of 42 female Lewis rats received 3.5-mm MHC I/II-incompatible corneal grafts from DA donors. Recipients were randomly assigned to receive either no therapy, 0.25% cyclodextrin-encapsulated SEGRA compound in a new microemulsion formulation or carrier system only. All treatments started on the day of surgery and were given five times daily for 35 days. Grafts were graded every day and a rejection score was generated based on cornea clarity and edema. In addition, intragraft mRNA expression of CD3, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-10 and IL-4 was analyzed using real-time RT-PCR analysis at day 7 after transplantation before rejection occurred in additional control animals. RESULTS: Topical application of a SEGRA compound was highly effective in prolonging the mean survival time of corneal grafts (42.2+/-4.0 days) compared with untreated controls (11.7+/-1.2 days, p=0.00003) or animals that received the vehicle only (15.0+/-1.5 days, p=0.114). In addition, real-time RT-PCR analysis of SEGRA-treated grafts revealed lower mRNA expression of intragraft cytokines; the difference was significant for IL-4 (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that topical application of a SEGRA compound significantly prolongs corneal graft survival in an experimental keratoplasty model. It further suggests that SEGRA can be a potentially useful drug to suppress the immune response.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]