Purpose:
To determine whether the antivascular endothelial growth factor bevacizumab (Avastin) applied topically reduce vessel formed in a model of corneal vascularization in the mouse eye and to compare with triamcinomole acetonide (Kenacort) applied also topically.
Methods:
Corneal Neovascularization was induced with NaOH 0.2N applied over the cornea for 2 minutes and then corneal and limbal ephitelium was removed mechanically under general anaesthesia. One week later of the procedure all eyes showed corneal vascularization and animals were divided in two gropus group 1 (n=10) received treatment with triamcinolone acetonide (Kenacort®, Bristol-Myers Squibb Laboratories) unpreserved, topically, twice a day for two weeks in the right eye, and the group 2 (n=10) received treatment with bevacizumab (Avastin®, Genentech-Roche) twice a day for two weeks in the right eye . Left eye did not received treatment and were used as control group.After two weeks of treatment corneas were photographed with Nikkon camera incorporated into a slit lamp Haag-Streit 900 with a magnification x25. The images were processed and the area of vascularization were measured and normalized. The values were compared with ANOVA on ranks and differences were evaluated with Student-Newman-Keuls Method.
Results:
The antiVEGF Bevacizumab (Avastin), and Trimcinolone acetonide (Kenacort), separately reduces corneal neovascularization (P<0.05). There were no differences between control groups. There was differences between bevacizumab and triamcinolone acetonide (P<0.05 Anova on ranks) and in terms of vascularization (22.0 %(Avastin) vs 27.5%(kenacort))
Conclusions:
Bevacizumab and Triamcinolone were effective in the reduction of the neovascularization in a mouse model, both limiting as reverting corneal neovascularization . Bevacizumab was more effective for this purpose.
Keywords: cornea: stroma and keratocytes • neovascularization • vascular endothelial growth factor