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Customized Rabbit Models of Dry Eye Disease

Rabbits provide an opportunity to study the pathophysiology mechanism of various dry eye diseases and to test the efficacy of new drugs to treat inflammation in DED. As a comprehensive eye disease model developer and supplier, Ace Therapeutics not only provides rodent dry eye models, but our researchers have also developed a variety of rabbit dry eye models, including a complete lacrimal gland resection model, acute desiccative stress model, and benzalkonium chloride-induced model. Benefit from our comprehensive ocular disease models and experienced ophthalmic pharmacologist, and you will quickly advance your project to the next experimental stage.

Rabbit Models of Dry Eye Disease

Dry Eye Disease and the Rabbit Models

Dry eye disease (DED) is an epidemic affecting millions of people worldwide, yet a lack of successful treatment options makes it remains a major challenge in ophthalmology. Appropriate experimental models of DED are required for the development and discovery of novel drugs, drug delivery systems, and targeted therapies for addressing DED inflammation. In recent decades, a variety of animal models have been used to decipher its pathophysiology and develop new treatments. Among these animal models, rabbits have significant advantages over rodents. Their larger spheroid size requires a larger exposed ocular surface, which makes it easier to perform a battery of DED tests such as tear breakup time, Schirmer's tear test, ocular surface staining, and corneal sensitivity. It provides an opportunity to study multiple pathophysiological mechanisms of dehydrated DED and evaporative subtypes of DED in an experimentally flexible manner.

Fig. 1. The rabbit orbital lacrimal glands. (Honkanen R, et al., 2019)

Service Overview

Rabbits' large eyes, long lifespan, and greater resemblance to human lacrimal glands make rabbits a promising near-ideal model for studying DED. Ace Therapeutics has worked in the field of ocular disease models for many years and has been working on models of dry eye induced in rabbits using atropine, the preservative benzalkonium chloride, surgical excision, and low humidity conditions or using a novel ophthalmic airflow chamber.

In Ace Therapeutics' laboratory, our scientists have developed and proposed several methods to induce dry eye disease in rabbits, including complete lacrimal gonadectomy, topical benzalkonium chloride induction, and acute desiccative stress induction.

Explore Ace Therapeutics' Rabbit Models of Dry Eye Disease

Ace Therapeutics provides the following rabbit dry eye models for global customers and is still working on developing new models to meet different research needs.

Complete lacrimal gland resection model

Our researchers perform a complete surgical resection of all orbital lacrimal glands (LG) in normal adult New Zealand white rabbits to create a rabbit dry eye model. This model is a stable, chronic model characterized by dehydration, which summarizes the key clinical and histological features of human DED and is suitable for the study of ocular surface homeostasis, DED pathophysiology, and the efficacy of DED therapeutic candidates.

Acute desiccative stress model

This model was developed by placing New Zealand white rabbits under controlled temperature and humidity (24℃, 55% relative humidity) and keeping the rabbit's eyes open for 1-3 hours using an eyelid dilator. This model with severe corneal damage has been used extensively by our clients to screen for drug effects or to study the contribution of desiccation stress to DED pathophysiology.

Benzalkonium chloride-induced model

Our researchers topically apply the preservative 0.1% benzalkonium chloride (BAC) twice daily for 14 days to one eye of New Zealand white rabbits. This model is characterized by corneal and conjunctival damage and decreased basal tear secretion, consistent with natural etiology and pathophysiology. This rabbit model can be used to study dry eye prevention and pathogenesis.

Available Support Services

In order to verify the reliability of the model and evaluate the efficacy of candidate compounds, our expert team conduct a full range of measurements and analyses, including but not limited to:

Measurement of tear secretion.
Tear osmolarity.
The tear break-up time.
Slit lamp examination.
Ocular surface fluorescein and rose bengal staining.
Conjunctival cytology.
Histological analysis of the cornea, conjunctiva, and lacrimal gland.

Ace Therapeutics aims to provide our global customers with an opportunity to explore the pathophysiology of dry eye disease and the development of potential new anti-inflammatory treatments. If you are interested in our services or need more detailed information, please feel free to contact us. Our experienced scientists are ready to help you!

References

Honkanen R, Huang W, Huang L, et al. A New Rabbit Model of Chronic Dry Eye Disease Induced by Complete Surgical Dacryoadenectomy. Curr Eye Res. 2019, 44(8):863-872.
Carpena-Torres C, Pintor J, Pérez de Lara MJ, et al. Optimization of a Rabbit Dry Eye Model Induced by Topical Instillation of Benzalkonium Chloride. J Ophthalmol. 2020, 2020:7204951.
Huang W, Tourmouzis K, Perry H, et al. Animal models of dry eye disease: Useful, varied and evolving (Review). Exp Ther Med. 2021, 22(6):1394.

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