METHODS: In this study, 40 females NOD mice were selected. The experimental group consisted of NOD mice that were diagnosed with diabetes while the normal control group consisted of those NOD mice without spontaneous diabetes. Hypodermic injection of Scopolamine hydrobromide(0.5mg/0.2mL)was administered under 40% humidity to the experimental group and placed in a controlled drying box for 12h a day. This was to achieve a dry eye model. Testing indicators on the 1, 7, 10 and 14d after modeling, phenol red thread test was used to measure tear secretion and the eye sections were stained with periodic acid-Schiff(PAS)to examine the morphology and number of conjunctival goblet cells. On the 10d after modeling, the changes in the corneal epithelium were visualized after staining with hematoxylin.

RESULTS:For the NOD mice of the experimental group, the tear secretion was gradually decreased with timing, while there were no obvious changes in the normal control group. The volume of the conjunctival goblet cells of the experimental group became larger, and on the 1d after the molding, the experimental group had decreased density of the goblet cells when compared with the normal control group(P=0.008). From the 7d after the molding, as the time was prolonged, the density of the goblet cells was gradually decreased and the differences between the two group at same time point were significant(all P<0.001). Besides, it was required to observe the corneal epithelium of the two groups on the 10d. The result shows that the corneal epithelium became thinned, some epithelial cells were denatured, and stromal cells became edema.

CONCLUSION: Dry eye model of NOD mice was preliminary established, and the changes of ocular surface were similar to those of dry eye in the clinic.