Abstract
Purpose: :
To investigate the effects of Connective Tissue Growth Factor Antisense Oligonuclcotide (CTGF ASON) and Transforming Growth Factor-β2 Antisense Oligonuclcotide (TGF-β2 ASON) on the wound rabbit cornea healing, we determined whether Connective Tissue Growth Factor reducing cornea scarring through TGF-β2 stimulation.
Methods: :
60 healthy, 3-month-old New Zealand albino rabbits were randomly assigned to 3 groups. Corneal wound was created on the right eye under microscope and sutured with 8-0 vicryl suture coated with: TGF-β2 ASON (Group A); CTGF ASON (Group B); none (Group C). The wound corneas were checked by Slit lamp daily. Four rabbits in each group were satisfied on the date of 4 th, 7 th, 14th and 28th after surgery. Corneas were validated by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Four rabbits in each group were given clinical evaluation for 2 months after surgery.
Results: :
Groups A and B had less corneal swelling and flare than Group C. The inflammation subsided in one week in Groups A and B but 2 weeks in Group C. Histopathology showed that fibroblast cells were much less; the arrangement of epithelial cells was more regular; and collagen fibril dispose was much looser in Groups A and B than that in Group C. Immunohistochemistry showed that there was much less staining either PCNA or α-SMA on the days 4th, 7th & 14th in Groups A and B than that in Group C (P<0.05). PCNA or α-SMA labeling was disappeared on the day 14th in Groups A and B, but on the day 21st in the Group C. After 2 months, the score for Groups A and B (4.25 ± 0.25 and 3.75 ± 0.48) were lower than that for Group C (8.0 ± 0.41; p<0.05) basing on corneal opacity, wound healing and vascularization by clinical evaluation.
Conclusions: :
Our results demonstrate that both TGF-β2 ASON and CTGF ASON could inhibit the formation of cornea scar effectively, while CTGF ASON inhibits the differentiation and proliferation of fibroblast cells in the wounded corneal stroma. CTGF may be the most important downstream mediator of TGF-β2 in the process of traumatic corneal healing.
Keywords: cornea: stroma and keratocytes • wound healing • inflammation