HISTOLOGICAL, MORPHOMETRIC AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF N-ACETYLCYSTEINE AND DEXAMETHASONE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS IN EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOGENIC UVEITIS

Objective. To evaluate the effect and compare the effectiveness of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and dexamethasone parenteral administration in the form of monotherapy and combined application on the morphological parameters of inflammation and the level of IL-6 expression in the eye tissues of rabbits with experimental immunogenic uveitis (EIU) at different periods. Material and methods. In total 27 rabbits (54 eyes) were involved in the experiment, three of them were intact. 24 rabbits with reproduced EIU were divided into 8 groups (3 in each). Animals with EIU in different groups received, respectively, treatment with parenteral injections of placebo, NAC, dexamethasone or a combination of NAC and dexamethasone and were withdrawn from the experiment on the 3rd or 7th day. Subsequently, histological and morphometric assessment of the uveal tract tissues of rabbits was performed, and the level of IL-6 expression in them was determined by immunohistochemistry. Results. EIU was accompanied by pronounced inflammatory changes, as well as an increased expression of IL-6 in the tissues of the uveal tract. NAC when administered parenterally had a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect and allowed to reduce the expression of IL-6 in the eye tissues. Application of the NAC and dexamethasone combination had the most significant anti-inflammatory effect, in comparison with NAC and dexamethasone monotherapies. Conclusion. 1. Parenteral administration of NAC has an anti-inflammatory effect and reduces the expression of IL-6 in eye tissues in uveitis. 2. Combined therapy with NAC and dexamethasone has a synergistic anti inflammatory effect. 3. The results of the study allow recommending NAC for use in the complex therapy of uveitis, in particular in combination with dexamethasone.