【Animal Modeling】-Histological changes of corneal and conjunctival epithelium in experimental dry eye rats

  Objective: To establish a rat dry eye model and evaluate it, and compare the morphological characteristics of the corneal and conjunctival epithelium of normal rats and dry eye rats.

  Method: Using benzalkonium chloride eye drops to induce dry eyes in rats, the animals were sacrificed after anesthesia, the corneal and conjunctival tissues of normal rats and dry-eye rats were taken for HE staining, and the ultrastructure of the rat corneal conjunctiva was observed under an electron microscope.

  Results: The corneal epithelium and conjunctival epithelium of dry eye rats are missing epithelial cells, and the conjunctival epithelial goblet cells are reduced. Under the electron microscope, the microvilli of the corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells of dry eye rats are missing, broken, and the basement membrane is dissolved, and the intracellular mitochondria are dissolved.

  Conclusion: The benzalkonium chloride-induced dry eye model in rats has similar changes in the cornea and conjunctiva after human dry eye. This dry eye model has important reference value in animal experimental research.