Abstract
Purpose: :
Bevacizumab (Avastin) is a full-length recombinant humanized murine monoclonal antibody against VEGF that has been successfully used in the treatment of different ocular diseases involving neovascularization or blood-retina barrier breakdown. However, some of its side effects have not yet been fully characterized. Our aim is to study the histopathological, biochemical and functional effects at different times after intravitreal bevacizumab injection on the rat eye, with special emphasis on its immediate pro-inflammatory features, that eventually could be associated with cellular oxidative burden.
Methods: :
Histopathological evaluation was performed after 24 hours, 1 and 4 weeks of bevacizumab (75 µg/rat eye) or saline intravitreal injection, as well as biochemical analysis of oxidative stress-related markers (malondialdehyde, a lipid peroxidation product, and glutathione peroxidase activity, an intracellular antioxidant), and retina function by electroretinogram.
Results: :
Bevacizumab induces a transient inflammatory reaction, mainly located in extravascular uveal tissue, together with a modification of the b-wave amplitude and latency of the electroretinogram. No histopathological alterations were observed in the retina, and no changes were observed in any of the oxidative stress markers studied, at any time after bevacizumab injection.
Conclusions: :
Intravitreal bevacizumab injection per se generates an immediate, transient and mild inflammation of the rat eye, which is not associated with oxidative stress in ocular tissues.
Keywords: drug toxicity/drug effects • inflammation • oxidation/oxidative or free radical damage