RESUMO
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa slime-glycolipoprotein (GLP) is considered as one of the principal pathogenetical factors of the bacterium. A single dose of 100 micrograms of the P. aeruginosa slime-GLP was injected in rabbit corneas intrastromally. Light microscopy showed that 4 hours after the injection, polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) began to infiltrate the anterior stroma. 24 hours after the intrastromal injection, PMNs had infiltrated full corneal thickness followed by multiple absceses formation, loss of epithelial and endothelial cells, disorganisation of normal collagen fibres and hyperplasy of fibroblasts. These morphological observations are very similar to those observed during experimental P. aeruginosa keratitis and show that the P. aeruginosa slime-GLP is at least in part responsible for the characteristic liquefaction necrosis of the keratitis induced by the P. aeruginosa.