Psychological stress contributed to the lacrimal gland dysfunction

Chronic psychosocial stress is a growing problem in modern society and is considered one of the major risk factors for dry eye disease. We hypothesized that stress disrupts the normal functioning of the lacrimal gland and causes dysfunction, which in turn affects ocular surface health. To test this hypothesis, we used two mouse models of psychological stress which are clinically relevant, namely the high-platform and restraint experiments. Our results showed that both stress models caused unique alterations in the circadian transcriptome of the mouse extra-orbital lacrimal gland. Overall, our findings demonstrate the detrimental effects of chronic psychosocial stress on lacrimal gland homeostasis and suggest potential clinical applications for patients with both psychological stress and dry eye disease.