Figure 5.

DS‐70 prevents, in a dose‐dependent manner, conjunctival infiltration and degranulation of mast cells and eosinophils. (A) The number of degranulated mast cells was evaluated in photographs taken of 10 random fields of 10 different conjunctival sections (see photomicrographs of tarsal conjunctiva stained with May–Grünwald–Giemsa shown in Figure S8A) and reported as percentage of degranulated mast cells (calculated with the following formula: DMC/MC × 100). (B) Effects of DS‐70 eye drops on conjunctival eosinophil infiltration 24 h after topical challenge with ovalbumin. Substantial eosinophil infiltration was observed in guinea pigs sensitized and topically challenged with ovalbumin. In guinea pigs sensitized with ovalbumin, treated with DS‐70 eye drops and challenged with ovalbumin, there was a lower, dose‐related, eosinophil infiltration than in conjunctiva of guinea pigs treated with ovalbumin alone. The number of eosinophils was determined in photographs taken of 10 random fields of 10 different sections (Luna's staining; see Figure S8B). (C) Effects of DS‐70 eye drops on conjunctival eosinophil peroxidase levels 24 h after topical challenge with ovalbumin. Data refer to the mean ± SD (five animals per group were included, and both eyes were evaluated; n = 10). *P < 0.05, significantly different from saline + vehicle; ^# P < 0.05, significantly different from vehicle + OVA.