Abstract:

Objective To investigate the effect of mistletoe eye drops in prevention of perimenopausal xerophthalmia in female rabbits. Design Experimental study. Participants Thirty-six healthy female rabbits. Methods Thirty-six healthy female rabbits were chosen,  among them,  24 female rabbits were cut off bilateral ovaries set up perimenopausal dry eye model. These 24 rabbits were randomly divided into 2 groups:  group A was treated with normal saline eye drops,  group B was treated with mistletoe eye drops. The other 12 rabbits (group C),  as a control group,  underwent sham surgery to open abdominal cavity,  but their ovaries were not removed. Schirmer’s test (SIT),  corneal fluorescein (FL) staining,  tear proteins,  and corneal confocal microscope were performed before intervention and at 1 week,  2 weeks,  1 month,  2 months after intervention. Main Outcome Measures SIT,  FL,  tear proteins,  and corneal confocal microscope. Results At 2 months after intervention,  rabbits in group B showed significant better results of SIT (7.48±3.16) l/mm,  FL score (1.91± 0.96),  total protein (10.71±2.37) ρ/g·L-1,  lysozyme (1.43±0.35) ρ/g·L-1,  iron egg milk (1.19±0.27) ρ/g·L-1,  amylase activity (87.75±62.79) IU,  corneal epithelium cell density (3174±379) cells/mm2 and corneal anterior substrate light emitting cell density,  compared to group A rabbits (all P<0.05). Compared with the nornal rabbit, corneal anterior substrate light emithing cells desity slightly increased, and corneal stromal layer nerve trunk slightly curved. Conclusion Mistletoe eye drops can effectively improve  SIT,  the score of FL,  lacrimal protein,  corneal epithelial cell density and other indicators in the perimenopolis. （Ophthalmol CHN,  2018, 27：122-127）

Key words: mistletoe eye drops, xerophthalmia, perimenopausal