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Effects of three blood derived products on equine corneal cells, an in vitro study
J O Rushton1, E Kammergruber2, A Tichy3
1Department of Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
Insights
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) significantly enhanced equine corneal cell proliferation and migration in vitro, outperforming plasma-rich growth factors (PRGF) and serum. Further in vivo studies are recommended for corneal ulcer treatment in horses.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Ophthalmology
- Cell Biology
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Corneal ulcers in horses often require surgery due to poor treatment response.
- Topical serum is used for its anticollagenolytic and growth factor properties.
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and plasma-rich growth factors (PRGF) show promise but lack equine ophthalmology data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vitro effects of PRGF and PRP on equine corneal cells compared to serum.
- To investigate the impact of these blood-derived products on corneal cell proliferation and migration.
Main Methods:
- Prospective controlled cohort study using blood from 35 healthy horses.
- Serum, PRGF, and PRP were produced and applied to equine limbal and stromal cells.
- Cell proliferation and migration were analyzed in vitro over 48 hours.
Main Results:
- PRP treatment significantly increased equine corneal cell proliferation.
- PRP enhanced cell migration capacity more than PRGF.
- PRGF maintained cell proliferation, while serum decreased it.
Conclusions:
- PRP demonstrates beneficial in vitro effects on equine corneal cell proliferation and migration.
- Further in vivo studies are needed to confirm PRP's efficacy for equine corneal ulcers.
- Autologous blood product application was not possible due to study design limitations.
Background:
Despite advances in therapy of corneal ulcerative diseases in horses, a vast number of cases require surgical intervention, due to poor response to treatment. Topical application of serum has been used for many years, based on its anticollagenolytic properties and the presence of growth factors promoting corneal wound healing. However, although other blood derived products i.e. platelet rich plasma (PRP), plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) have been widely used in equine orthopaedics and in human ophthalmology, no reports of the effects of these blood derived products exist in equine ophthalmology.
Objectives:
To determine in vitro effects of PRGF and PRP on equine corneal cells compared with serum.
Study Design:
Prospective controlled cohort study.
Methods:
Blood from 35 healthy horses was used to produce serum, PRGF (Endoret® ), and PRP (E-PET™). Limbal- and stromal cells were isolated from healthy corneas of six horses and treated with 20% serum, 20% PRGF or 20% PRP. Proliferation rates and migration capacity were analysed in single cell cultures as well as co-culture systems.
Results:
Cell proliferation increased with PRP treatment, remained constant in PRGF treated cells, and declined upon serum treatment over a period of 48 h. Migration capacity was significantly enhanced with PRP treatment, compared with PRGF treatment. Intact leucocytes, mainly eosinophils, were only detected in PRP.
Main Limitations:
Due to the study design use of autologous blood products on corneal cells was not possible.
Conclusions:
The results demonstrate beneficial effects of PRP on proliferation as well as migration capacity of equine corneal cells in vitro. In vivo studies are warranted to determine further beneficial effects of PRP in horses with corneal ulcers.
