Effect of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor in Transgenic Mice: Corneal Epithelial Healing Process after Excimer Laser Photoablation

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the role of preparedbasic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) eyedrops in corneal epithelial healing of transgenic mice after excimer laser photoablation. Materials and Methods: In our prospective case series, 60 eyes of 30 mice had uneventful bilateral excimer laser photoablation. In each mouse, 1 eye received the standard topical postoperative therapy with tobramicin, diclofenac and dexamethasone eyedrops, plusbFGF eyedrops 5 μg/10 μl PBS 3 times a day for 1 week, or until corneal reepithelialization was complete. The fellow eye served as the control and received the standard postoperative therapy plus placebo. The mice were monitored daily, commencing the day after surgery and for 7 days, in order to evaluate the corneal reepithelialization rate by using a video slitlamp camera with a cobalt blue light. The mean diameter of the corneal wounds was measured. Videotaped images were recorded and analyzed by computer planimetry. Results: All the eyes treated withbFGF eyedrops healed completely before day 5 after surgery, with a mean reepithelialization time of 90 ± 12 h (standard deviation); the mean reepithelialization time was 124 ± 10 h in those eyes receiving placebo. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in corneal haze presentation during the follow-up, perhaps because the time period was too brief (7 days). However, corneal clarity on slitlamp biomicroscopy was greater in the study group than in the control group. No side effects or toxic effects were documented. Conclusions: These data suggest that the bFGF significantly accelerates epithelial healing after excimer photoablation. A further clinical study should be performed to prove the results obtained in this study as well as the long-term efficacy of bFGF to prevent corneal haze.

Effect of the combination of basic fibroblast growth factor and cysteine on corneal epithelial healing after photorefractive keratectomy in patients affected by myopia

“…The degree and extent of keratocyte apoptosis also varies with the type of overlying epithelial injury, and can be influenced by the surgical technique and drugs. [121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647] Therefore, rapid re-epithelialization of the cornea would likely promote wound healing of the underlying stroma with minimal cell apoptosis. [38] Furthermore, the identification of factors that aid re-epithelialization after corneal epithelial injury and prevent complications related to delayed cicatrization, such as scar or haze formation, would optimize surgical outcomes.…”

“…In addition, the efficacy of recombinant human b-FGF on epithelial healing has been demonstrated in rabbits after mechanical anterior keratectomy. [31323334354445]…”

“…[2627282930] Initially, the effect of b-FGF on corneal wound healing was investigated both in rabbits and in transgenic mice, and these studies reported significant improvement in epithelial healing after PRK. [3132333435] In the present study, we investigated the efficacy of b-FGF eye drops combined with L-cysteine oral supplementation for the treatment of corneal epithelial healing after PRK in myopic patients. As 1 week may be required to recover an intact epithelium and several weeks before best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) is achieved, we tested whether this pharmacological combination could expedite epithelial healing and improve pain after PRK.…”

Caveolin-1 as a Novel Indicator of Wound-Healing Capacity in Aged Human Corneal Epithelium

“…Some groups have reported that topical EGF application increased the wound-healing rate in vivo, but others reported no benefit. Moreover, a recent study showed that eye drops containing bFGF significantly accelerated epithelial healing after LASEK by increasing corneal reepithelialization in transgenic mice (28).…”

Oral l-Cysteine Supplementation Enhances the Long Term-Effect of Topical Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) in Reducing the Corneal Haze after Photorefractive Keratectomy in Myopic Patients

“…As a consequence of the epithelial damage and of the loss of the intact basement membrane function, also stromal cells and keratocytes secrete cytokines in order to modulate the proliferation, migration and differentiation of epithelial and stromal cells into fibroblasts and myofibroblasts [3,9] and to repair the stroma [6].In rabbit models, the topical application of a variety of molecules is able to promote the corneal repair process leading to a better wound healing; among the tested factors, can be mentioned the plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF-Endoret) [10], the ascorbic acid [11], the nerve growth factor (NGF) in combination with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) [12], the vitamin E and hydrocortisone acetate [13], and finally the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) [14,15] can be mentioned. Moreover we previously showed that, in transgenic mice, topical cytochrome c peroxidase [16], bFGF alone [17], or in combination with cytochrome c [18] and oral administration of l-cysteine [19] significantly accelerates epithelial healing after excimer photoablation. Despite the limits of the animal models, which are the different physiology and the short term evaluation, we found that these observations were a useful starting point to test the efficacy of supplementation strategies in humans.…”