The lacrimal gland, as an essential component of the ocular surface system, along with its product, the tears, had not received sufficient attention in the past years.However, increasing evidence suggest that the lacrimal gland plays a critical role in maintaining the normal function of the eyes, and disruption of its function may lead to dry eye.In this review, the author tried to summarize the recent developments in lacrimal gland research and its role in the etiology and development of dry eye, particularly with our own research findings from lacrimal gland ducts.The author believes that more efforts should be directed to the lacrimal gland research, especially the ion transporters/channels in the lacrimal gland duct system, which may be used as targets in developing novel treatments for dry eye.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sodium hyaluronate gel in preventing adhesion after prophylactic enterostomy.Methods:One hundred and twenty four patients from 6 hospitals were enrolled in this prospective multi-center randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomized into the study group ( n=59) or the control group ( n=65).All patients underwent prophylactic enterostomy. Patients of study group received odium hyaluronate gel for adhesion-prevention,while those in control group did not receive any adhesion-prevention treatment. The incidence of moderate to severe adhesion around the incision in the stoma area were evalutated during stoma reduction surgery. Results:The incidence of moderate to severe adhesion around the incision in the stoma area was 6.3% in the study group, the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05) compared to that of the control group (32.6%). Conclusion:Sodium hyaluronate gel can safely and effectively reduce the incidence of moderate and severe adhesions after abdominal surgery.