Stress Suppresses Systemic Th17/Treg Imbalance in Rats with Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis

To explore the effect of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) on the immune response involved in rats with experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU).Lewis rats were randomly divided into control, EAU, CUMS, and EAU+CUMS groups and received relevant treatments. On days 7, 11, 14, 21 and 28, frequencies of Th17 and Treg cells and the related cytokines were analyzed.The intraocular inflammation of EAU rats peaked between days 11 and 13, while the severity of inflammation of the rats in EAU+CUMS group fluctuated between 11 and 15 days. Both frequencies of Th17, Treg cells and the related cytokines exhibited a significant difference between the two groups on days 11 and 14.CUMS may protect against the possible harmful effects of immune disorder in rats with EAU through suppressing the immune disorder of T lymphocyte and the related cytokine responses.