Corneal bee sting (CBS) is one of the most common ocular traumas and can lead to blindness. The ophthalmic manifestations are caused by direct mechanical effects of bee stings, toxic effects, and host immune responses to bee venom (BV); however, the underlying pathogenesis remains unclear. Clinically, topical steroids and antibiotics are routinely used to treat CBS patients but the specific drug targets are unknown; therefore, it is imperative to study the pathological characteristics, injury mechanisms, and therapeutic targets involved in CBS. In the present study, a CBS injury model was successfully established by injecting BV into the corneal stroma of healthy C57BL/6 mice. F-actin staining revealed corneal endothelial cell damage, decreased density, skeletal disorder, and thickened corneal stromal. The terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay showed apoptosis of both epithelial and endothelial cells. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that cytokine-cytokine interactions were the most relevant pathway for pathogenesis. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis showed that IL-1, TNF, and IL-6 were the most relevant nodes. RNA-seq after the application of Tobradex ® (0.3% tobramycin and 0.1% dexamethasone) eye ointment showed that Tobradex ® not only downregulated relevant inflammatory factors but also reduced corneal pain as well as promoted nerve regeneration by repairing axons. Here, a stable and reliable model of CBS injury was successfully established for the first time, and the pathogenesis of CBS and the therapeutic targets of Tobradex ® are discussed. These hub genes are expected to be biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the diagnosis and treatment of CBS.
Keyphrases
- wound healing
- single cell
- rna seq
- endothelial cells
- optical coherence tomography
- network analysis
- protein protein
- genome wide
- oxidative stress
- mouse model
- cataract surgery
- immune response
- small molecule
- high throughput
- genome wide identification
- ejection fraction
- newly diagnosed
- chronic pain
- lps induced
- pain management
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- high dose
- dna methylation
- spinal cord
- prognostic factors
- radiation therapy
- transcription factor
- bioinformatics analysis
- spinal cord injury
- vascular endothelial growth factor
- copy number
- cell proliferation
- patient reported outcomes
- rectal cancer
- early stage
- flow cytometry
- optic nerve