RESUMEN
This study was conducted to develop an animal model of uveitis resembled anterior uveitis in humans after immunization with iris-ciliary body antigen. Male Lewis rats were immunized with the buffer-and detergent insoluble bovine iris-ciliary body mixed with Complete Freund`s adjuvant (CFA) and Pertussis toxin(PTX). A soluble fraction derived from bovine melanin associated antigen(BMAA) after digestion with the proteolytic enzyme V8 protease was prepared and this soluble fraction of BMAA also induced an experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). On gel eletrophoresis for soluble fraction of BMAA, prominent bands between 29 kDa and 43 kDa were clealy observed. In this model, clinical anterior uveitis was induced around 2 weeks, peaked at 18 days and disappeared later than 4 weeks after immunization. Histopathological results of EAU disclosed an infiltration of inflammatory cells, mainly lymphocytes and macrophages, into iris and ciliary body as well as in part the choroid, not retina. In conclusion, we developed a model of EAU with Lewis rats after immunization with BMAA subcutaneously and confirmed the immune mediated inflammation was focused mainly on iris and ciliary body and in part on choroid as well as found that MAA might be soluble after V8 protease treatment.