Corneal radiofrequency burns: effects of prostaglandins and 45/80

Vascularization of the rat cornea was produced by means of radiofrequency burns adjacent to the limbus. Animals with and without lesions were tested for a vascular response to topical PGE1 and compound 48/80, with carbon used as an indicator. There was no response to PGE1 until 6 hours, at which time dense labeling of limbal vessels was observed. This response gradually decreased and by day 15, when labeling returned to control levels. No further permeability changes were seen for the duration of the experiment to day 90. Compound 48/80 gave four-plus labeling of the limbus and one-plus labeling of corneal vessels at all times during the experiment. The presence or absence of the thermal lesion did not change the degree of labeling. Histamine and bradykinin did not produce vascular labeling either with or without a corneal lesion.