Journal Reading

The wound healing effects of vitamin A eye

drops after a corneal alkali burn in rats

Pembimbing:
Dr. Margrette. P. Franciscus. Sp.M MSc
Oleh:
Megala a/p Bala Krishnan
112014204

Introduction

 Vascular endothelial growth factor A

(VEGF-A)promotes division and
proliferation of endothelial cells
Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)
and transforming growth factor (TGF)a and b, can cause capillary
endothelial cells to proliferate
Thrombospondin 2 (TSP2) repress
new vessels growth

 Vitamin A is necessary for the normal

growth and differentiation of
epithelium
may modulate the expression of
TSP1 to accelerate the reepithelialization and also inhibit
VEGF-A

Material and Methods

Animals:
160 Sprague-Dawley male rats (weight
range, 250 300 g) divided into 2 groups

In vivo animal model of corneal

epithelial wound healing
Deeply anesthetized by an
intraperitoneal injection

 The central cornea of the right eye

was injured by placing a filter paper
(circular 3.0 mm diameter) saturated
with 0.01 m NaOH on it for 45
seconds.
The wound surface was then washed
with 0.9% physiological saline.

The vitamin A group was treated with aqueous ophthalmic

T

 Wound sizes were determined by

staining with 1% fluorescein and
photographing immediately after
injury and at 24, 48 and 72 hr after
injury.
The percentage of wound healing
was calculated
using the following
(initial wound area- wound
formula area)/initial wound area x 100.

Impression cytology of bulbar

conjunctiva
Performed on lower bulbar
conjunctivae by applying strips of
cellulose acetate filter paper for 3
seconds
Degrees of squamous metaplasia
were graded from zero to six as
described and goblet cell density was
defined as the number of cells per
square millimetre.

Protein extraction and ELISA for VEGFA, thrombospondin 2, MMP 9 and TGF-b
Corneas were trephined using a 4.0-mmdiameter trephine at 24, 48 and 72 hr postinjury
Excised corneas were frozen at -80C and
homogenized by thawing and freezing three
times in a lysis buffer
Homogenates were centrifuged at 14 000 g for
30 min, and the supernatants so obtained were
subjected to VEGF-A, thrombospondin 2, MMP 9
and TGF-b assays
Immunofluorescence staining

Results
Effect of vitamin A eye drops on
corneal epithelial wound healing
Percentage of wound healing higher
No corneal opacity observed

Discussion
This study is the first to show that
vitamin A eye drops can promote
wound healing by activating
thrombospondin 2 and inhibiting
VEGFA, MMP 9 and TGF-b following a
corneal alkali burn in rats