Diabetes Mellitus Leads to Accumulation of Dendritic Cells and Nerve Fiber Damage of the Subbasal Nerve Plexus in the Cornea

摘要: PURPOSE. To evaluate whether nerve fibers of the subbasal plexus (SNP) and dendritic cells (DCs) are in association with each other leading to neuropathy diabetic cornea. METHODS. BALB/c mice were injected streptozotocin (STZ) for 5 days induction diabetes mellitus (DM) or vehicle solution (control). B6.VLep ob/ob (ob/ob) served as an obese glucose-intolerant DM type 2 (DM II) model lean ob/þ (ob/þ) respective controls. Using vivo corneal confocal microscopy (CCM), DCs quantified over a period 9 weeks additionally analyzed by vitro immunofluorescence whole-mount staining. RESULTS. In STZ-diabetic mice, CCM revealed increase DC density (DCD) contrast controls, whereas fiber (NFD) was decreased duration DM. DCD 3-fold higher than both mice. Whole-mount staining displayed CD11c(þ) major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II(þ) mature colocalization III b-tubulin(þ)