RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Blueberry Stem Extract Prevents Lacrimal Hyposecretion in Non-obese Diabetic Mice via Activation of AMPK JF In Vivo JO In Vivo FD International Institute of Anticancer Research SP 1003 OP 1015 DO 10.21873/invivo.13174 VO 37 IS 3 A1 KENJIROU OGAWA A1 YUTA OHNO A1 AKANE TAGASHIRA A1 KARIN URATA A1 KEITARO SATOH A1 NARUKI FUJIMOTO A1 HIROKO SONODA A1 MASAHIRO IKEDA A1 TOSHIYUKI MATSUZAKI A1 KAZUO NISHIYAMA A1 HISATO KUNITAKE A1 YO GOTO A1 MASAO YAMASAKI YR 2023 UL http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/37/3/1003.abstract AB Background/Aim: Tears secreted from the lacrimal gland are essential for preserving the ocular surface. Thus, dysfunction of the lacrimal gland in Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) can lead to dry eye, resulting in a reduced quality of life. We previously reported that blueberry ‘leaf’ water extract prevents lacrimal hyposecretion in male non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice in a SS-like model. In this study, we investigated the effect of blueberry ‘stem’ water extract (BStEx) on lacrimal hyposecretion in NOD mice. Materials and Methods: Male NOD mice were fed 1% BStEx or control (AIN-93G) for 2, 4, or 6 weeks from 4 weeks of age. Pilocarpine-induced tear secretion was measured using a phenol red-impregnated thread. The lacrimal glands were histologically evaluated by HE staining. Inflammatory cytokine levels in the lacrimal glands were measured using ELISA. Immunostaining was performed to examine aquaporin 5 (AQP5) localization. The expression levels of autophagy-related proteins, AQP5, and phosphorylated AMPK were measured using western blotting. Results: After feeding BStEx to mice for 4 or 6 weeks, tear volume was observed to have increased in the BStEx group compared with that in the control group. There were no significant differences in inflammatory cell infiltration, autophagy-related protein expression, or the localization and expression of AQP5 in the lacrimal glands between the two groups. In contrast, AMPK phosphorylation increased in the BStEx group. Conclusion: BStEx prevented lacrimal hyposecretion in the SS-like model of male NOD mice, probably by opening tight junctions via the activation of AMPK in lacrimal acinar cells.