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Customized Rabbit Models of Uveitis

An ideal uveitis model is helpful for anti-inflammatory drug screening. At Ace Therapeutics, our talented scientists describe a mycobacterium tuberculosis-induced chronic uveitis model in rabbits that can be used to test long-term therapies. In addition, we also explore a TNF-α-induced uveitis model in rabbits as a supplement. You have reason to believe that we are the most reliable partner on your project development road.

Rabbit Models of Uveitis

What Is Uveitis?

Uveitis, a chronic ocular inflammation involving the iris, ciliary body, vitreous, retina, or choroid, is the first manifestation of many systemic diseases. The cause is not always known and can vary, often requiring long-term medical treatment. Clinically, drugs for uveitis can be administered by topical drops, local injection (subconjunctivally, subfascial, or intravitreous), or systemically, but each of these routes of administration has drawbacks and potential complications. Therefore, continued research is needed to find new anti-inflammatory drugs that are effective, safe, and have fewer side effects. Appropriate animal models help to discover and study the immune pathogenesis and potential therapy of uveitis. They even deepen the understanding of systemic autoimmune diseases, thereby delaying the progression of systemic autoimmune diseases.

Fig. 1. Slit lamp scoring of inflammation. (Quentric Y, et al., 2019)

Service Overview

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) is a widely accepted method of inducing chronic uveitis in rabbits. MT is a pathogen that induces uveitis when administered ocularly to animals sensitized to the H37Ra antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

In recent years, Ace Therapeutics has successfully developed a rabbit model of chronic uveitis by continuously exploring the pathogenesis of uveitis. This rabbit model of chronic uveitis can be used to test the efficacy of long-term therapies and ocular drug delivery systems.

Explore Ace Therapeutics' Rabbit Models of Uveitis

Our investigators induce chronic uveitis with two intravitreal injections of MT antigen in New Zealand white rabbits. New Zealand white rabbits were challenged with MT antigen for the first time to induce uveitis. 14 days later, a second antigen challenge was performed to establish a chronic model. The follow-up period was up to two months.

Model characteristics: After the first antigen challenge, slit-lamp examination revealed an inflammatory state of the anterior chamber, cellular infiltration, iritis, and vitreous opacity, and this characteristic decreased gradually decrease on the third day. A second antigen challenge elicited a stronger and longer-lasting inflammatory response, representing a model of chronic uveitis.

It is worth mentioning that our expert team also explore the establishment of a TNF-α-induced uveitis model in rabbits. TNF-α is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a key role in intraocular inflammation. Patients with uveitis show markedly increased TNF- expression in serum and aqueous humor. In view of this, our researchers explore the establishment of a TNF-α-induced uveitis model by intravitreal injection of TNF-α. The good news is that our research team has successfully developed a TNF-α-induced uveitis model in rabbits. This model was generated by intravitreal TNF-α injection in New Zealand white rabbits.

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To accurately judge the model's endpoint. Throughout the research process, Ace Therapeutics monitor through a series of methods, including but not limited to:

Slit lamp examination (clinical scoring).
Histopathological analysis.
Molecular biology analysis (ELISA, WB,qPCR).

Importantly, our researchers also chose the clinically relevant compound triamcinolone acetonide (AAA) to fully implement and validate the model's reliability, and the results showed that TAA-treated animals exhibited less cellular infiltration and preserved retinals.

Ace Therapeutics aims to provide global customers with a powerful experimental tool to test the efficacy of long-term therapies and ocular drug delivery systems for uveitis. 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

Quentric Y, Antonelli S, Mauro V, et al. Chronic model of uveitis in rabbit-Efficacy of Triamcinolone Acetonide. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2019, 60:800-800.
Rosenbaum J, Littman B, Marcoux F, et al. Efficacy of PPL-003 and Inhibition of NFκB Activation in a Rabbit Mycobacterial Antigen-Induced Uveitis Model. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2016, 57(12):1896.
Jiang Q, Li Z, Tao T, et al. TNF-α in Uveitis: From Bench to Clinic. Front Pharmacol. 2021, 12:740057.

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