Analytical Chem JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

A Rabbit Model of Aqueous-Deficient Dry Eye Disease Induced by Concanavalin A Injection into the Lacrimal Glands: Application to Drug Efficacy Studies

Name: A Rabbit Model of Aqueous-Deficient Dry Eye Disease Induced by Concanavalin A Injection into the Lacrimal Glands: Application to Drug Efficacy Studies
Uploaded: 2026-06-30
Duration: 8 min 4 s
Description: Dry eye disease (DED), a multifactorial inflammatory disease of the ocular surface, affects 1 in 6 humans worldwide with staggering implications for ...

DOI: 10.3791/59631-v

What you'll learn

✓ Induce reproducible aqueous-deficient dry eye disease in rabbits using concanavalin A injection
✓ Perform nictitating membrane injection and removal surgical technique
✓ Evaluate pharmacological agent efficacy in dry eye disease models

Protocol

This article describes the development of a method to induce acute or chronic dry eye disease in rabbits by injecting concanavalin A to all portions of the orbital lacrimal gland system. This method, superior to those already reported, generates a reproducible, stable model of dry eye suitable for the study of pharmacological agents.

Difficulty

advanced

Total time

~2–3 hours per rabbit (acute induction); chronic model requires multiple timepoint assessments over weeks

Model organism

Rabbit (New Zealand White or similar)

Biosafety

BSL-1

Steps

Inject concanavalin A into orbital lacrimal glands

Administer concanavalin A injections to all portions of the orbital lacrimal gland system to induce acute or chronic aqueous-deficient dry eye disease in rabbits. This method produces a reproducible, stable model suitable for subsequent pharmacological studies.

▶ 02:41

Remove nictitating membrane if necessary

Perform surgical removal of the nictitating membrane (third eyelid) as part of the lacrimal gland injection procedure to ensure complete access and treatment of the gland system.

▶ 01:25

Assess aqueous tear deficiency and disease markers

Evaluate representative effects of concanavalin A-induced dry eye disease using appropriate clinical or laboratory assessments to confirm successful model establishment and measure pharmacological responses.

▶ 06:15

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