{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,6]],"date-time":"2026-07-06T13:33:00Z","timestamp":1783344780158,"version":"3.54.6"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,20]],"date-time":"2023-06-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1687219200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) We investigated the effects of the Lactobacillus fermentum HY7302 (HY7302) in a mouse model of benzalkonium chloride (BAC)-induced dry eye, and the possibility of using HY7302 as a food supplement for preventing dry eye. (2) The ocular surface of Balb\/c mice was exposed to 0.2% BAC for 14 days to induce dry eye (n = 8), and the control group was treated with the same amount of saline (n = 8). HY7302 (1 \u00d7 109 CFU\/kg\/day, 14 days, n = 8) was orally administered daily to the mice, and omega-3 (200 mg\/kg\/day) was used as a positive control. To understand the mechanisms by which HY7302 inhibits BAC-induced dry eye, we performed an in vitro study using a human conjunctival cell line (clone-1-5c-4). (3) The probiotic HY7302 improved the BAC-induced decreases in the corneal fluorescein score and tear break-up time. In addition, the lactic acid bacteria increased tear production and improved the detached epithelium. Moreover, HY7302 lowered the BAC-induced increases in reactive oxygen species production in a conjunctival cell line and regulated the expression of several apoptosis-related factors, including phosphorylated protein kinase B (AKT), B-cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl-2), and activated caspase 3. Also, HY7302 alleviated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1\u03b2 (IL-1\u03b2), IL-6, and IL-8, and also regulated the matrix metallopeptidase-9 production in the conjunctival cell line. (4) In this study, we showed that L. fermentum HY7302 helps prevent dry eye disease by regulating the expression of pro-inflammatory and apoptotic factors, and could be used as a new functional food composition to prevent dry eye disease.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms241210378","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,21]],"date-time":"2023-06-21T01:35:11Z","timestamp":1687311311000},"page":"10378","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Lactobacillus fermentum HY7302 Improves Dry Eye Symptoms in a Mouse Model of Benzalkonium Chloride-Induced Eye Dysfunction and Human Conjunctiva Epithelial Cells"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"24","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1576-7373","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kippeum","family":"Lee","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"R & BD Center, hy Co., Ltd., 22, Giheungdanji-ro 24 Beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si 17086, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ji Woong","family":"Jeong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"R & BD Center, hy Co., Ltd., 22, Giheungdanji-ro 24 Beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si 17086, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jae Jung","family":"Shim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"R & BD Center, hy Co., Ltd., 22, Giheungdanji-ro 24 Beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si 17086, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3659-1386","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hyun Sook","family":"Hong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Kyung Hee Institute of Regenerative Medicine (KIRM), Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joo Yun","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"R & BD Center, hy Co., Ltd., 22, Giheungdanji-ro 24 Beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si 17086, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jung Lyoul","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"R & BD Center, hy Co., Ltd., 22, Giheungdanji-ro 24 Beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si 17086, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"74","DOI":"10.1097\/NHH.0000000000000652","article-title":"Dry eye disease: Prevalence, assessment, and management","volume":"36","author":"Rouen","year":"2018","journal-title":"Home Healthc. 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