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Meibomian lipids possess antimicrobial properties, study finds
Meibomian lipids play a role in protecting the ocular surface due to their antimicrobial properties, according to a study recently published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.
Mudgil grew several bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa 19, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 20, Staphylococcus aureus 31 and Serratia marcescens 35. The bacteria were grown in an artificial tear solution both with and without human meibomian lipids, which were collected from healthy volunteers.
The researcher measured the number of cells that had survived the treatment as well as the damage done to surviving cells.
Results showed that human meibomian lipids caused significant damage to bacteria and that the treatment significantly lowered bacteria cell count.
"This study provides the evidence for the antimicrobial role of human meibomian lipids," he concluded. "This is the first report of antimicrobial lipids in the host defense in the ocular environment. This adds to the overall concept of lipids playing a role in the innate host defense in humans. Different lipid classes in meibomian lipids are expected to exhibit different antimicrobial mechanisms and together they create an effective and potent antimicrobial protection.
"Since these lipids are present in tears along with proteins, like in other body secretions, cooperative interactions between them provide a robust intrinsic host defense [that] is reflected in the self-sterilizing property and low microbial load of tears at the ocular surface," Mudgil continued. "Further research will involve studying antimicrobial properties of distinct lipid classes of meibomian lipids to identify their therapeutic potential for treating ocular surface infections."
Disclosure: No products or companies were mentioned.