ESCRS - FP22.03 - Probiotics Pretreatment Attenuates Impaired Corneal Re-Epithelialization In Diabetic Mice Through Amelioration Of T Cell Immunity And Remodulation Of The Intestinal Microbiome

Probiotics Pretreatment Attenuates Impaired Corneal Re-Epithelialization In Diabetic Mice Through Amelioration Of T Cell Immunity And Remodulation Of The Intestinal Microbiome

Published 2023 - 41st Congress of the ESCRS

Reference: FP22.03 | Type: Free paper | DOI: 10.82333/1690-sx32

Authors: Kendrick Shih 1 , Yashan Bu* 2 , Xu Sheng 1 , Ho Lam Wong 1 , Yau Kei Chan 1 , Amy Lo 1 , Joshua Ho 1 , Louis Tong 3

1The University of Hong Kong,Hong Kong Island,Hong Kong, 2Department of Ophthalmology,The University of Hong Kong,Hong Kong Island,Hong Kong, 3Singapore National Eye Centre,Singapore,Singapore

Purpose

To investigate the effect of probiotics pretreatment on corneal epithelial wound healing, ocular surface and systemic T cell immunity, and gut microbiome indices in diabetic mice after cornea alkali chemical injury.

Setting

Heterozygous Ins2Akita mice were used for experiments, with WT C57BI6/J mice serving as controls.

Methods

IRT5 (Probiotics) or PBS (control) was administered to the mice by oral gavage continuously for 14 days before the corneal alkaline burn injury. At day 15, alkaline burn injury was induced on the right eye of mice under general anesthesia. The cornea was examined with slit lamp with fluorescein stain under cobalt blue light. T cell profiles on the ocular surface and in the peripheral blood were analyzed by flow cytometry. Intestinal microbiome diversity pattern was characterized using shot gun sequencing technique.

Results

Probiotics pretreatment significantly improved cornea wound healing after alkali injury in diabetic mice. This finding was associated with higher levels of CD4+ T cells in the peripheral blood and ocular surface of probiotics-pre-treated diabetic mice compared to PBS-pretreated diabetic mice in response to injury. Regarding gut microbial diversity patterns, probiotic pretreatment remodulated gut microbial composition of diabetic mice to that of wild-type mice. Specifically, increased abundance of Muribaculaceae and lower abundance of Bacteroides were observed at baseline in probiotics-pretreated diabetic mice compared to controls, with a further increased abundance of Lactobacillus johnsonii in response to cornea injury. 

Conclusions

Probiotic pretreatment before cornea injury remodulated gut microbial composition in diabetic mice to that of wild type mice. This in turn improved systemic and ocular surface T cell response to injury in diabetic mice and resulted in faster cornea wound healing times in response to alkali injury. Thus probiotics may serve as a promising therapeutic agent in the management of diabetic keratopathy.