Loss of Neurokinin-1 Receptor Alters Ocular Surface Homeostasis and Promotes an Early Development of Herpes Stromal Keratitis.

ABSTRACT: Substance P neuropeptide and its receptor, neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R), are reported to present on the ocular surface. In this study, mice lacking functional NK1R exhibited an excessive desquamation of apical corneal epithelial cells in association with an increased epithelial cell proliferation and increased epithelial cell density, but decreased epithelial cell size. The lack of NK1R also resulted in decreased density of corneal nerves, corneal epithelial dendritic cells (DCs), and a reduced volume of basal tears. Interestingly, massive accumulation of CD11c⁺CD11b⁺ conventional DCs was noted in the bulbar conjunctiva and near the limbal area of corneas from NK1R^-/- mice. After ocular HSV-1 infection, the number of conventional DCs and neutrophils infiltr

SUBMITTER: Gaddipati S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5113833 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature