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Effects of aFGF and bFGF on wound healing in rabbit corneas
D Fredj-Reygrobellet1, J Plouet, T Delayre
1Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Faculté de Médecine, Nice, France.
Abstract:
After the debridement of the entire corneal epithelium of the rabbit eye, epithelial cells of conjunctival origin cover the denuded corneal surface. Under such experimental conditions, the rate of wound healing is considerably delayed and total regeneration is completed within 15 to 20 days, allowing evaluation of various drugs, such as the Fibroblast Growth Factor. Both acidic and basic FGF were administered topically on totally de-epithelialized rabbit eye, at three different concentrations of 1.5 and 10 Stimulation Units/50 microliters, 3 times per day. A dose-response effect was observed and in each case, acidic FGF was found to be much more potent than bFGF in increasing the rate of wound healing of the cornea. These results are correlated with a new purification procedure, avoiding acid treatment of the tissue extract. The systemic diffusion of FGF allows the contralateral eye cells to be also stimulated for mitosis and migration and to heal faster than the control eyes.
Insights
Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) significantly accelerates corneal wound healing in rabbits compared to basic FGF. This discovery offers a promising therapeutic avenue for faster eye injury recovery.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Corneal epithelial wounds in rabbits heal slowly (15-20 days).
- This delayed healing provides a model for evaluating therapeutic agents.
- Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) is a potential candidate for accelerating corneal repair.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of acidic and basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) in promoting corneal wound healing.
- To compare the potency of acidic FGF versus basic FGF in accelerating corneal regeneration.
- To explore the dose-response relationship of FGF in ocular wound healing.
Main Methods:
- Induction of total corneal epithelial debridement in rabbit eyes.
- Topical administration of acidic and basic FGF at varying concentrations (1.5, 10 SU/50 μL) three times daily.
- Monitoring and comparison of wound healing rates between FGF-treated and control eyes.
Main Results:
- A dose-dependent acceleration of corneal wound healing was observed with both acidic and basic FGF.
- Acidic FGF demonstrated significantly higher potency than basic FGF in promoting healing.
- Systemic diffusion of FGF stimulated mitosis and migration in contralateral eye cells, enhancing healing.
Conclusions:
- Acidic FGF is a more potent stimulator of corneal wound healing than basic FGF.
- The findings support a novel purification procedure for FGF, avoiding acid treatment.
- FGF shows therapeutic potential for accelerating ocular surface regeneration and recovery.