Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: This study was conducted in pigmented rabbits to evaluate corneal wound healing following keratotomy and subsequent treatment with moxifloxacin 0.5% ophthalmic solution (VigamoxTM), gatifloxacin 0.3% ophthalmic solution (ZymarTM) or BSS® sterile irrigating solution. Methods: Animals (5 per group) underwent surgery to create a microkeratome flap (approximately 8.5 mm in diameter and 160 µm depth) in the right eye (OD). The flap was replaced and the animals were treated for one week, QID with one drop of either Vigamox, Zymar or BSS by topical ocular administration. Following completion of the one–week dosing phase, animals were observed for an additional two weeks. Slit–lamp biomicroscopy was utilized to evaluate the eyes at 24 and 72 hours post–surgery, then weekly for the remainder of the study. The Hackett–McDonald ocular scoring system was used to measure the degree of corneal haze at the various examinations. At approximately three weeks following surgery, the eyes were collected for histopathological evaluation by a board–certified veterinary pathologist. Results: Slit–lamp examinations revealed no appreciable differences in corneal wound healing or degree of corneal haze throughout the three–week in–life phase of the study. Additionally, there were no microscopic changes that were interpreted to differentiate microkeratomized eyes of animals treated with Vigamox, Zymar or BSS. Conclusions: Results from this study demonstrated that Vigamox, Zymar and BSS were not significantly different from one another in their effect on corneal wound healing or degree of corneal haze following microkeratotomy.
Keywords: antibiotics/antifungals/antiparasitics • wound healing