Expression of occludin and epithelial barrier function in the corneal epithelium

为了保持角膜的透明度，紧密连接是非常重要的。最近，封闭，紧密连接蛋白，被发现，并认为发挥作用的紧密连接的形成。在这项研究中，我们披露了occludin在角膜上皮中的表达。在最顶端的角膜上皮细胞中，Occludin在细胞边缘周围连续表达。在亚顶端细胞层中，occludin被观察为沿细胞边界的沿着虚线图案。在基细胞和翅细胞水平，没有观察到occludin。免疫印迹分析显示闭合蛋白抗体在65 kD处出现一条带，荧光分光光度计检测上皮屏障功能。该装置清楚地显示在正常角膜上皮中维持上皮屏障功能。在凝胶状滴状营养不良的情况下，上皮屏障功能受损，但受损程度不高，然而，在大泡性角膜病变的情况下，上皮屏障功能受到高度干扰。它也在药物诱导的角膜病变中受损，即使上皮糜烂不存在。在凝胶状滴状营养不良的情况下，occludin在细胞边缘周围连续表达，与正常相似。相反，大泡性角膜病变。occludin在细胞边缘有表达，但表达不连续。当角膜上皮细胞边缘连续存在封闭性表达时，上皮屏障功能得以维持，而当角膜上皮细胞边缘不连续存在封闭性表达时，上皮屏障功能受到损伤，提示角膜上皮细胞中的上皮屏障功能与封闭性表达密切相关。

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.