Abstract:

Uveitis is not only a common inflammation disease of eyes but also a leading cause of blindness. Its complex  pathogenesis is not fully understood. An endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) animal model has been established for the study of uveitis to avoid the limits of taking specimens from human. These animal models of uveitis have made great contribution to understanding the mechanism and have set up the experimental foundation for clinical treatments of uveitis. Endotoxin mediates the activation of inflammatory cell and the damage of tissue. Toll like receptor 4 is the primary signal receptor of endotoxin lipopolysaccharide recognition and cell activation. The activation of Toll like receptor 4 signal pathway which results in the activation of related inflammatory cytokines and the inflammatory reaction in the anterior segment of the eye plays a key role in the pathogenesis of EIU. The discovery, methodology, pathological characters and inflammatory pathways as well as the blocking mechanism of these models were introduced in this paper. Furthermore, the research and application prospects of the model were discussed.