Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026
Ex Vivo and In Vivo Animal Models for Mechanical and Chemical Injuries of Corneal Epithelium
Published on: April 6, 2022
Effect of erythropoietin on healing of corneal epithelial defects in rabbits
Eitan Livny1, Tami Livnat, Maxim Yakimov
1Department of Ophthalmology, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel. eitanlivny @ gmail.com
Background/Aim:
Corneal epithelial defects may heal slowly in patients with diabetes, limbal stem cell deficiency, extensive chemical burns or anesthetized corneas. Studies have shown that erythropoietin, a glycoprotein hormone that promotes red blood cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis of erythroid progenitors, may also exert a cytoprotective, antiapoptotic effect on nonhematopoietic cells. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of erythropoietin on the healing process of corneal epithelial erosions in rabbit eyes.
Methods:
Fifteen New Zealand albino rabbits were divided into 3 groups following induction of unilateral uniform corneal epithelial erosions. The first group received local treatment with erythropoietin-containing cellulose-based gel 4 times daily; the second group received treatment with cellulose-based gel without erythropoietin 4 times daily, and the third group received no treatment. The healing process was monitored twice daily using cobalt-blue-filtered slit lamp photography and digital images of fluorescein-stained corneas until complete re-epithelization was achieved. Following re-epithelization, corneas were removed for histologic processing. One-way analysis of variance and Mann-Whitney tests were used for statistical analysis.
Results:
Mean ± SD time to complete re-epithelization was 55 ± 2.19 h in the group treated with erythropoietin-containing cellulose-based gel, 66.5 ± 14.25 h in the group treated with gel only and 62.2 ± 9.09 h in the untreated group (p = 0.16, not significant). There was no significant difference among the groups in the time to complete re-epithelization or the rate of epithelial healing. Histologic corneal evaluation revealed stromal vascularization in 2 of the 6 erythropoietin-treated rabbits and in neither of the control groups.
Conclusion:
Erythropoietin has no beneficial effect on the rate of healing of corneal epithelial erosions in rabbit eyes, and corneal stroma neovascularization seems to be a significant adverse effect.
