[Neurotrophic keratopathy--studies on substance P and the clinical significance of corneal sensation]

Abstract

Neurotrophic keratopathy, which often follows damage to the trigeminal nerve, is clinically characterized by various types of epithelial disorders and melting of corneal stroma. To understand both the pathology of neurotrophic keratopathy and the physiological significance of corneal sensation, we investigated both the cellular and molecular functions of a sensory neurotransmitter, substance P, in corneal epithelial cells. Our findings prompted us to try a new mode of treatment for neurotrophic keratopathy. Substance P, a member of the tachykinin family, is an 11-amino-acid peptide. In an organ culture system using rabbit corneas, substance P alone had no effect on corneal epithelial migration. In the presence of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), however, substance P synergistically facilitated corneal epithelial migration in proportion to the concentration of substance P or of IGF-1. Other neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, norepinephrine, serotonin etc.) or tachykinins (neurokinin A, eledoisin etc.) did not show this synergistic effect with IGF-1. Among receptors for the tachykinin family (NK-1, NK-2, or NK-3) only the NK-1 receptor system was involved in the synergistic effect of substance P and IGF-1 on corneal epithelial migration. IGF-1 affected neither the binding constant nor the number of sites of substance P receptors in corneal epithelial cells, suggesting that the synergistic effect was not regulated at the receptor level. Various extracellular signals activate the intracellular signal transduction system, thus amplifying specific biological functions. We found that the addition of inhibitors of protein kinase C or tyrosine kinase clearly inhibited the synergistic effect of substance P and IGF-1 on corneal epithelial migration, demonstrating that protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase are involved in the synergistic effect. During corneal epithelial wound healing, epithelial cells must attach to a provisional, extracellular fibronectin matrix. We previously reported that interleukin 6 and epidermal growth factor (EGF) facilitate corneal epithelial wound healing by activating the expression of fibronectin receptor (integrin). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that substance P and IGF-1 increased expression of mRNA for integrins alpha 5 and beta 1 in cultured corneal epithelial cells and also increased the number of cells that attached to a fibronectin matrix. These findings strongly suggest that substance P and IGF-1 synergistically increase corneal epithelial migration by activating the expression of integrin. Tachykinins share a five amino acid sequence, phenylalanine-free amino acid-glycine-leucine-methionine amide (FXGLM), at the C-terminus. Studying substance P, we found that a four amino acid sequence at the C-terminus, FGLM, was the minimum amino acid sequence for the synergistic effect on corneal epithelial migration. Structurally similar tetrapeptides mimicking other members of the tachykinin family isoleucine-glycine-leucine-methionine amide (IGLM), valine-glycine-leucine-methionine amide (VGLM), tyrosine-glycine-leucine-methionine amide (YGLM), and the tripeptide glycine-leucine-methionine amide (GLM) did not have any synergistic effect with IGF-1. Based on these findings in vitro, we investigated the effect of eye drops containing substance P plus IGF-1 or FGLM plus IGF-1 on the epithelial wound closure of rabbit corneas in vivo. Both combinations significantly facilitated corneal epithelial wound closure. In a clinical setting, the administration of substance P plus IGF-1 effectively treated corneal epithelial defects in a patient with Riley-Day syndrome, a disease in which corneal epithelial defects persist because of loss of corneal sensation and hypolacrimation. In a patient with neurotrophic keratopathy due to trigeminal nerve paralysis following surgery, eye drops containing FGLM plus IGF-1 eliminated superficial punctate staining. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)