Inhibition of experimental corneal neovascularization by Bevacizumab(AVASTIN)
- Roberta Manzano (roberta.manzano{at}gmail.com),
- Gholam Peyman (gpeyman1{at}yahoo.com),
- Palwasha Khan (palwasha_md{at}hotmail.com),
- Petros Carvounis (carvounis{at}yahoo.com),
- Muhamet Kivilcim (muhamet_kivilcim{at}yahoo.com),
- Min Ren (renmin100{at}yahoo.com),
- Jonathan Lake (jonathanlake{at}gmail.com),
- Patricia Chevez-Barrios (pchevez-barrios{at}tmh.tmc.edu)
- Tulane University Health Sciences Center, United States
- University of Arizona, United States
- Tulane University Health Sciences Center, United States
- Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
- University of Arizona, United States
- Tulane University Health Sciences Center, United States
- Departamento de Oftalmologia, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, Brazil, Brazil
- Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
- Published Online First 19 December 2006
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of topically administered bevacizumab (Avastin) on experimental corneal neovascularization in rats.
Materials and Methods: Silver nitrate sticks (75% silver nitrate, 25% potassium nitrate) were used to perform chemical cauterization on the corneas of 16 eyes from 16 male Long-Evans (LE) rats. For the following 7 days, the 10 eyes in the treatment group received twice daily instillation of Bevacizumab 4mg/ml drops while the 6 eyes in the control group received placebo (normal saline drops twice daily). Digital photographs of the cornea were analysed to determine the area of cornea covered by neovascularization as a percentage of the total corneal area.
Results: In the Bevacizumab treated eyes, neovascularization covered, on average, 38.2 ±15.5% (mean ± standard deviation[SD]) of the corneal surface compared with 63.5 ± 5.0% (mean ± SD) in the control group (p<0.02, Mann-Whitney U test).
Conclusion: Topically administered Bevacizumab (Avastin) at a concentration of 4mg/ml limits corneal neovascularization following chemical injury in the male Long-Evans rat model.
