Effects of a 5% monosulfated glycosaminoglycan and duasorb topic solution on alkali-burned rabbit corneas

Abstract

Topical effects of chondroitin sulfate, a monosulfated glycosaminoglycan, on the healing of alkali-burned corneas were studied. Forty albino rabbits were divided into two groups (GI and GII, n =20) submitted to corneal ulceration with 3 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH). GI was treated with a topical solution of 5% chondroitin sulfate 4 and chondroitin sulfate 6 and GII was treated with 0.9% physiological saline at 6 hour intervals in both cases. The rabbits were studied over a period of 60 days by biomicroscopy with a slit lamp in order to evaluate blepharospasm, blepharitis, chemosis, conjunctival congestion, ocular secretion, and corneal edema, neovascularization and macula. The fluorescein test was performed daily to monitor the evolution of the ulcers. The animals were submitted to eye enucleation for histopathology on the 1 st , 3 rd , 10 th , 30 th and 60 th day after ulcer induction. When compared to GII, GI showed 4 perforations. In the eyes in which no perforation occurred, no clinical or microscopic differences were observed between groups, except for ocular secretion, which persisted for a longer time in GII animals. Except for those with perforations, the corneas tended to heal, on average, within 30 days. The results permit us to conclude that the 5% chondroitin sulfate solution, when instilled on alkali-burned rabbit corneas did not alter healing when compared to the animals treated with 0.9% physiological saline.