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Updated: Aug 5, 2025
An Alkali-burn Injury Model of Corneal Neovascularization in the Mouse
Published on: April 7, 2014
Effect of topical motesanib in experimental corneal neovascularization model
Mukaddes Çelenk1,2, Hakan Yıldırım1, Ahmet Tektemur3
1Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Fırat University, 23119, Elazığ, Turkey.
Purpose:
This study aimed to compare the efficacy of topical bevacizumab and motesanib in an experimental corneal neovascularization model, and find the most effective motesanib dose.
Materials And Methods:
In experiments, 42 Wistar Albino rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 7). Corneal cauterization was applied to all groups except the group 1. Group 1 did not receive any treatment. Topical dimethylsulfoxide was applied to sham group three times a day(tid). Topical bevacizumab drops (5 mg/ml) were applied to Group 3 tid. Topical motesanib drops with a dose of 2.5, 5, and 7.5 mg/ml were respectively applied in Groups 4, 5, and 6 tid. On the 8th day, corneal photographs of all rats were taken under general anesthesia, and the percentage of corneal neovascular area was calculated. VEGF-A mRNA, VEGFR-2 mRNA, miRNA-21, miRNA-27a, miRNA-31, miRNA-126, miRNA-184, and miRNA-204 were evaluated by the qRT-PCR method in corneas taken after decapitation.
Results:
The percentage of corneal neovascularization areas and VEGF-A mRNA expression levels were decreased in all treatment groups compared to group 2 (p < 0.05). VEGFR-2 mRNA levels were found to be statistically significantly decreased in groups 4 and 6 compared to group 2 (p < 0.05). Statistically significant changes were detected in the expression levels of only miRNA-126 among all miRNAs.
Conclusion:
Motesanib with a dose of 7.5 mg/ml statistically significantly suppressed the VEGFR-2 mRNA level compared with other treatment doses and may be more effective than bevacizumab. Further, miRNA-126 can be used as a proangiogenic marker.
