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-1 β was 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-1β signaling pathway and reducing the recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages.

Department of Ophthalmology,the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University,Qingdao 266003,China;Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery,the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University,Qingdao 266003,China

[1]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-.Thymol Protects against Aspergillus Fumigatus Keratitis by Inhibiting the LOX-1/IL-1β Signaling Pathway)[J].当代医学科学(英文),2022(03):620-628

Thymol,Fumigatus,Keratitis,corneas,fungistatic

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