Thymol Protects against Aspergillus Fumigatus Keratitis by Inhibiting the LOX-1/IL-1βSignaling Pathway  

作　　者：Li-mei WANG Hua YANG Hai-jing YAN Rui-feng GE Yun-xiao WANG Sha-sha XUE Lin LI Le-yu LYU Cheng-ye CHE 

机构地区：[1]Department of Ophthalmology,the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University,Qingdao 266003,China [2]Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery,the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University,Qingdao 266003,China

出　　处：《Current Medical Science》2022年第3期620-628,共9页当代医学科学（英文）

基　　金：the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82171019);Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(No.ZR2021MH368);Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Project of Qingdao(No.2020-zyy055);Shandong Qingdao Outstanding Health Professional Development Fund.

摘　　要：Objective To explore the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of action of thymol in Aspergillus fumigatus(A.fumigatus)keratitis.Methods The minimum inhibitory concentration of thymol against A.fumigatus was detected.To characterize the anti-inflammatory effects of thymol,mouse corneas and human corneal epithelial cells were pretreated with thymol or dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)before infection with A.fumigatus spores.Slit-lamp microscopy,immunohistochemistry,myeloperoxidase detection,quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction,and Western blotting were used to assess infection.Neutrophil and macrophage recruitment,in addition to the secretion of LOX-1 and IL-1β,were quantified to evaluate the relative contribution of thymol to the inflammatory response.Results We confirmed that the growth of A.fumigatus was directly inhibited by thymol.In contrast with the DMSO group,there was a lower degree of inflammation in the mouse corneas of the thymol-pretreated group.This was characterized by significantly lower clinical scores,less inflammatory cell infiltration,and lower expression of LOX-1 and IL-1β.Similarly,in vitro experiments indicated that the production of LOX-1 and IL-1βwas significantly inhibited after thymol treatment,in contrast with the DMSO-pretreated group.Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that thymol exerted a direct fungistatic activity on A.fumigatus.Furthermore,thymol played a protective role in fungal keratitis by inhibiting LOX-1/IL-1βsignaling pathway and reducing the recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages.

关 键 词：KERATITIS Aspergillus fumigatus THYMOL LOX-1 IL-1Β 

分 类 号：R54[医药卫生—心血管疾病]