Abstract
Purpose:
To examine the effects of systemic administration of anti-transforming growth factor b (TGFb) neutralizing antibody on the outcome of wound healing in a mouse cornea following alkali burn.
Methods:
(1) Alkali burn was produced in one cornea of an adult C57BL/6 mouse (n = 24) under general anesthesia by topical 3 mL of 0.2N NaOH. At day 0 and 3 anti-mouse TGFb neutralizing antibody (R & D) or control antibody was administered through the tail vein. At day 6 the finding of each cornea (epithelial defect and stromal opacification) was evaluated by using a scoring system. At day 7 the mice were killed and the cornea was examined by using histology and immunohistochemistry. (2) The alkali burn was produced in adult mice (n = 12). At day 0 they received either i. v. anti-TGFb or control antibody. At day 5 the mice was sacrificed and the cornea was obtained. RNA was extracted from the sample and processed for real-time RT-PCR for mRNA of TGFb1, IL-6, MCP1, F4/80, and aSMA. Antibody concentration in serum was examined in each mouse in (1) and (2) experiments.
Results:
Epithelial defect and stromal opacification were more marked in mice with anti-TGFb antibody as compared with control mice. Less appearance of both myofibroblasts (aSMA+) and macrophages (F4/80+) was observed in association with less accumulation of fibronectin in control cornea as compared with antibody-treated mice. There was no difference of the expression level of the components examined between tested and control group.
Conclusions:
Systemic administration of anti-TGFb antibody retards wound healing in an alkali-burned cornea in mice.