Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States
Expert Review
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus' Influence on Corneal Epithelial Nerve Morphology and the Corneal Epithelium
Author(s): Daniel Robertson*
Chronic, eye-threatening corneal pathology can arise from diabetic corneal
neuropathy. Although the exact cause is unknown, it is thought that
corneal disease is caused by a decrease in corneal sensitivity and loss of
neurotrophic support. There is a lack of data on the connection between
nerve damage to the corneal epithelium and nerve loss. In a streptozotocininduced
diabetic mouse model, we used three-dimensional imaging in vivo
and in situ to investigate changes in nerve morphology and the corneal
epithelium. Streptozotocin-treated mice displayed growth retardation and
elevated serum glucose levels that were consistent with severe diabetes.
After six weeks of disease, the length of the subbasal nerve plexus
decreased. Corneal epithelial thinning and a decrease in basal epithelial
cell density were linked to the subbasal nerve plexus's disappearance.. View More»
DOI:
10.35248/2155-6156.1000990
