Use of topical cyclosporin a in a primary Sjögren's syndrome mouse model

PURPOSE. A new animal model, the NFS/sld mutant mouse, was used for primary Sjogren's syndrome to investigate the efficacy of topical and systemic cyclosporin A (CyA) in preventing inflammation of the exocrine glands. METHODS. Cyclosporin A was applied topically (0.01% and 0.1%, three times a day) or administered orally (10 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, once a day) to mice from 6 to 16 weeks of age, after which the mice were killed. RESULTS. Topical CyA reduced lacrimal gland and submandibular gland inflammation without causing pathologic changes in other organs. Flow cytometry showed that CD44 expression of CD4 T cells from the submandibular lymph nodes was downregulated, whereas that of Mell4+ was upregulated. Using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay, we determined that topical CyA significantly decreased the expression of mRNA of IL-2 and T-cell receptor- constant /3-chain. CONCLUSIONS. Tonical CvA mav be clinicallv useful in reducinc the Ivmnhocvte infiltration of lacrimal elands associated with Sjoeren's syndrome.