Expression of occludin and epithelial barrier function in the corneal epithelium

为了保持角膜的透明性，紧密连接是非常重要的。最近发现了紧密连接蛋白--闭塞蛋白，并被认为在紧密连接的形成中发挥了作用。在这项研究中，我们揭示了阻滞素在角膜上皮细胞中的表达。在最顶端的角膜上皮细胞中，occludin在细胞边缘附近持续表达。在亚顶端细胞层，阻塞素沿细胞边界呈虚线状分布。在基底细胞和翼细胞水平，未观察到阻滞素。在免疫印迹分析中，阻滞素抗体与一条约65kD的条带反应，用前荧光分光光度计评估上皮屏障功能。该装置清楚地显示了正常角膜上皮细胞上皮屏障功能的维持。在凝胶滴状营养不良的情况下，上皮屏障功能受损，但不是那么严重，而在大泡性角膜病变的情况下，它被高度干扰。在药物引起的角膜病变中，它也会受到损伤，尽管没有出现上皮侵蚀。在凝胶滴状营养不良的情况下，occludin在细胞边缘持续表达，与正常相似。相反，在大泡性角膜病变的情况下。Occludin有表达，但在细胞边界附近不连续表达。当细胞边缘持续存在闭塞表达时，上皮屏障功能保持不变，而当细胞边缘持续出现闭塞表达时，上皮屏障功能受损，提示角膜上皮细胞中闭塞表达与上皮屏障功能密切相关。

To maintain corneal transparency, tight junction is very important. Recently, occluding, tight junction protein, was found and is thought to play a role for tight junction formation. In this study, we disclosed expression of occludin in the corneal epithelium. Occludin was expressed continuously around the border of the cells in the most apical corneal epithelial cells. In the sub-apical cell layer, occludin was observed as a dotted line pattern along the cell borders. At the basal and wing cell level, occludin was not observed. In the immunoblot analysis, occludin antibody reacted with a band at approximately 65 kD.Epithelial barrier function was evaluated anterior fluorophotometer. This device clearly showed epithelial barrier function was maintained in normal corneal epithelium. In case of gelatinous drop-like dystrophy, epithelial barrier function is injured but not so highly injured, however, it is highly disturbed in case of bullous keratopathy. It is also injured in drug-induced keratopathy, even though epithelial erosion was not present. In case of gelatinous drop-like dystrophy, occludin was expressed continuously around the border of the cells, similar to normal. In contrast, in case of bullous keratopathy. occludin was expressed, but the expression was incontinuously around the border of the cells. Epithelial barieer function is maintained when occluding expression was present continuously around the border of the cells, however, epithelial barrier function is injured when occluding expression was incontinuously present around the border of the cells.These data suggest that there is a close relation between epithelial barrier function and expression of occluding in the corneal epithelium.