FIG. 6.

Animals were injected with 20 μl of rIL-1Ra (20 μg during each injection) subconjunctivally at 24 h and then 3 h before infection with the invasive strain. Control mice received an equal volume of PBS at same time points before the infection with invasive strain. (A) Histological examination showed fewer infiltrates in the anterior stroma (arrow) and no epithelial defect at 1 day postchallenge in the corneas treated with rIL-1Ra protein. (B) Control mice had enormous infiltrates (thin black arrows) with complete loss of epithelium in the central cornea (thick arrow) at 1 day postchallenge. (C) In rIL-1Ra-treated mice, corneas were completely recovered by day 7 postchallenge. (D) In control mice, infiltrates have reduced compared to those at 1 day postchallenge and epithelium has healed (thick arrow) in the central cornea. Neovascularization is evident in the corneal stroma (arrow).