Discussion
New technologies have been explored in many researches such as a kind of long-acting mucoadhesive thermogels and gallate-loaded gelatin-g-poly (N-Isopropylacrylamide) for the treatment of DED. As the first recommended drug in “Dry Eye Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines”, the protective effect of LC on corneal epithelial cells under hypertonic state has been verified.
22–24 Another research group prepared an artificial formulation which also used LC as a part of formulation to help replenish the tear film.
25 In this study, a kind of thermosensitive in situ gel of LC was prepared which is in a floating condition at room temperature while can form a gel rapidly as soon as dropped in the ocular surface of rabbits. The mechanism of the gelatinization under specific temperature of LCTG was relevant with hydrophobic effect of groups, hydrogen-bond interaction among polymer chains and hydrogen-bond interaction among hydrophilic group. On the one hand, LCTG can give full