[The effect of epidermal growth factor on corneal endothelial wound healing in rabbits]

We investigated the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on rabbit corneal endothelial wound healing in vivo. After a 6 mm-diameter metallic cryoprobe was applied to rabbit corneas, 0.1 ml of recombinant human EGF (100 micrograms/ml) or saline was injected into the anterior chamber. Corneas were excised on 1, 2, and 7 days postoperatively, labeled with 3H-thymidine and subjected to autoradiography. Some corneas were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Autoradiography showed that the number of endothelial cells incorporating 3H-thymidine in corneas treated with EGF was significantly greater than that in the control. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated the effect of EGF on accelerating endothelial healing. These findings indicate that EGF has a stimulatory effect on the proliferation of wounded rabbit corneal endothelial cells in vivo. Under the conditions tested in the present study, there were no side effects of EGF such as neovascularization or cellular proliferation in the angle. The results suggest that EGF might be clinically applicable for corneal endothelial disorders.