Expression Of Matrix Metalloproteinase MRNA In Experimental Herpes Simplex Virus Keratitis

Objective: To explore the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) mRNA in corneas with infection of herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) and to investigate the relationship between the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9 mRNA with the course of keratitis.Methods: Twenty female BALB/c mice were averagely divided into 4 groups stochastically. Take the right eyes as the experiment eye, and dropping HSV-1 on the corneas after scratched epidermis of the corneas. Keratitis was induced in BALB/c mice by inoculating the cornea with HSV-1 (KOS strain). Observed changes of the corneas through the slit lamp everyday. Corneas were harvested at daysO, 2, 7 and 14. Extracted the total RNA from the tissue of cornea, then reverse transcripted the RNA into cDNA. Amplified the cDNA and the products were electrophoresis in the agarose gelatum. The expression of MMP-2, MMP-9 mRNA were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). To analyzed the data half-quantu using analysis of variance SNK-q test.Results: The typical manifestation of HSK were seen on each mice after infection 2 days. The epidermis of the corneas were Coloboma, then the inflammation in the superficial layer stroma occurred with the inflammation cells infiltrating. At the 7 days post-infection the corneal stroma were edema, the ulcer and blood vessel formate. The situation become more Severe at 14 days post-infection. Each groups showed positive segments except the expression of MMP-9 mRNA in the normal group. The MMP-2 mRNA at day 2 post-infection did not express significant enhance than the normal group (P>0.05). The MMP-9 mRNA at day 7 post-infection did not express significant enhance than the 2 day post-infection group (P>0.05). The differences among other groups were statistically significant (P<0.01) and they presented the trend that the expression increased with the day increased post-infection on the whole.Conclusions: The expression of the MMP-2 MMP-9 mRNA can be detected in HSK cornea. The expression was increase with the inflammation reaction intensify. This enzyme was shown to contribute to the ulcerative and neovascularization process that occurs in the corneal in response to HSV infection.