RESUMO
AIM:To observe the anti-inflammatory effect of triptolide (TP) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-in-duced uveitis (LIU). METHODS:BALB/c mice (n=24) were randomly divided into 3 groups:blank control group (treated with normal saline), model group (treated with normal saline) and triptolide treatment group (treated with 0.05% triptolide eye drops),with 8 mice in each group. The mice in model group and triptolide treatment group were in-travitreally injected with LPS after 30 d of drug treatment. The anterior chamber was assessed by slit-lamp examination at different time points after modeling. Ocular tissues were collected for histological examination. The protein levels of inter-cellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1),interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in iridial and retinal samples were tested by ELISA. RESULTS:Compared with model group,the inflammatory reaction and clinical score were obviously decreased in triptolide treatment group at 24 h after modeling (P<0.01). The histopathological ob-servation indicated that infiltrating inflammatory cells were dramatically reduced in the anterior and posterior segments by triptolide eye drops. In addition, the expression levels of ICAM-1, IL-1β and MCP-1 were significantly decreased in the ocular tissues by treatment with triptolide (P<0.05). CONCLUSION:Triptolide prevents the injury of LIU by down-regulating inflammatory cytokines,and may be a new immune therapy for uveitis.