Abstract
Purpose: :
Angiogenesis in the normally avascular cornea can lead to vision loss and affect the immunological privilege of the cornea. This project aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of topically applied 12–methyl tetra decanoic acid (12–MTA) on preventing the angiogenic response of the cornea after injury.
Methods: :
Mouse eyes were injured by applying an alkaline burn. Following injury, 12–MTA, vehicle or dexamethasone were topically applied to the corneas twice daily for 14 days. Controls were alkaline–injured corneas with no treatment. On the 7th and 14th day following injury, mouse eyes clinically evaluated by slit lamp microscopy and the amount of linear and radial incursion of blood vessels into the cornea was scored. The number of corneas with epithelial defects was counted and a score for corneal haze/infiltration was given. On 14th day, after euthanasia of the mice, the corneas were harvested and numbers of PMNs estimated by the myeloperoxidase assay, and histology was preformed.
Results: :
Treatment with 12–MTA or dexamethasone reduced the amount of linear incursion of vessels into the cornea compared to control. Only corneas treated with 12–MTA showed reduced radial incursion of vessels. Dexamethasone treatment resulted in a larger number of corneas having epithelial defects on day 14 than all other treatments or untreated corneas. A much higher number of PMNs in the dexamethasone corneas compare with other treatments or untreated corneas was seen and this was confirmed by histology.
Conclusions: :
12–MTA has been shown to be effective in reducing the amount of angiogenesis subsequent to alkali burn of the cornea.
Keywords: neovascularization • pharmacology • wound healing