Abstract
Purpose :
This in vivo preclinical study evaluated the effect of six topical artificial tear products (ATPs) containing hyaluronic acid (HA) on corneal re-epithelialization following injury.
Methods :
C57Bl/6 mice (n=16) were randomized 1:1 to one of six ATPs [HA1 (Optive FusionTM); HA2 (Vismed®); HA3 (Thealoz Duo®); HA4 (Hyabak®); HA5 (Hylo-Comod®) and Hydroxypropyl-guar/HA (HPG/HA, Systane® Hydration)]. Mice were anesthetized with Ketamine/Xylazine; epithelial debridement was performed on one cornea per animal. The debrided eye was imaged and a 30 µL masked test solution containing one of the six ATPs was instilled immediately on debridement and every 2 hours, for 4 administrations in total. Twenty-four hours post-debridement, corneas were fluorescein stained and imaged to calculate the total fluorescein positive area (pixels). Key study endpoints included the number of fully re-epithelialized corneas (fluorescein negative) and the total area of corneal re-epithelization in each treatment group 24 hours post-debridement.
Results :
After 24 hours, HPG/HA instilled corneas showed greater corneal re-epithelialization compared to other treatment groups (Fig 1). The percentage of fluorescein negative corneas per treatment group 24 hours post-debridement was highest in the HPG/HA treatment group (53.33%) vs. other treatment groups [12.5% (HA1); 26.67% (HA2); 31.25% (HA3); 6.25% (HA4); and 43.75% (HA5)]. The average and percent area of re-epithelialization and after 24 hours of treatment was greater in the HPG/HA group (174666.8 pixels; 98.59%) than in other treatment groups [HA1 (90770.75 pixels; 91.89%); HA2 (130598.73 pixels; 96.64%), HA3 (149526.56 pixels; 97.38%); HA4 (41832.53 pixels; 91.61%); HA5 (156577.62 pixels; 96.75%)], respectively. The mean difference (pixels) in the average re-epithelialized area of the wound between HPG/HA and each treatment group was significant (Fig 2).
Conclusions :
Percentage of eyes with complete corneal re-epithelialization 24 hours post-debridement was highest with HPG/HA vs. other HA-containing ATPs tested. These results provide additional evidence on the benefits of the HPG/HA dual polymer on improving outcomes following corneal injury in an animal model.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.