Abstract
Purpose: :
To compare the inhibitory effects of different doses of bevacizumab with both saline and dexamethasone on the inflammatory angiogenesis in the rat cornea induced by small chemical lesions.
Methods: :
Chemical cauterization of cornea was performed on both eyes in 20 rats. Animals were then divided randomly in 5 groups and received, on one eye, a daily subconjunctival injection during 7 consecutive days of one of these 5 treatments: balanced salt solution (BSS); dexamethasone phosphate 0.4mg/day; bevacizumab 2.5mg/day, 3.75mg/day or 5.0mg/day. In all animals, the fellow eye received a subconjunctival injection of BSS. Clinical examination under slit lamp was performed daily for 7 days to evaluate corneal opacity and vessel size evolution. Computer-assisted quantitative image analysis was used to measure the total corneal area covered by neovascularization.
Results: :
At final examination, the dexamethasone group showed a significant lowering in corneal opacity score as compared to both control and bevacizumab 2.5mg/day groups (p=0.025; p=0.007). On the new vessels size score, dexamethasone group showed a significant reduction as compared to all other groups (p=0.013). Surface of corneal neovascularization was significantly smaller in dexamethasone and bevacizumab 5.0mg/day groups compared to control (p=0.043 and p=0.049 respectively) and bevacizumab 2.5mg/day groups (p=0 .016 and, p=0 .014 respectively).
Conclusions: :
Our study demonstrates the ability of a 5.0mg/day bevacizumab subconjunctival injection to cause a short-term involution of corneal neovascularization after corneal alkali burn but with limited effects compared to steroids. Further studies using combinations of these treatments are needed.
Keywords: vascular endothelial growth factor • corticosteroids • anterior segment