COMPARISON OF TOPICALLY ADMINISTERED BEVACIZUMAB AND PROPRANOLOL IN TREATMENT OF CORNEAL NEOVASCULARIZATION IN RABBITS
Hesam Hedayati 1 *
- Hesam Hedayati
Abstract: Objective: To compare the effect of topical bevacizumab with topical propranolol for treatment of the corneal neovascularization (CNV) in a rabbit model of corneal injury.
Methods: Methods: Corneal neovascularization was induced by 3 sutures of the cornea in 30 rabbits (30 corneas). Two
weeks after neovascularization all sutures were removed then rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups:
Group 1 received topical propranolol (10 mg/mL), group 2 received topical bevacizumab (10 mg/mL), and
group 3 received only topical normal saline drops as the control group, in the right eye three times a day for
two weeks. Photographs of CNV were obtained before drug administration and at 1 and 2 weeks after intervention. The images were analyzed using the NIH ImageJ software (version 1.37c).
Results: Results: The mean percentage of CNV area was considered as 100 % before the treatment. At the 1-week and,
2 week intervals post treatment the mean percentage of CNV area in Propranolol, Bevacizumab and saline
groups were 78.01± 4.16, 75.64± 4.32 and 93.33± 4.57 and 65.72± 4.15, 61.45± 6.18 and 84.96± 5.21,
respectively. After one and two weeks treatment, the neovascularization area in Propranolol and Bevacizumab
groups was regressed more than saline group significantly (P<0.0001). But there was no significant difference
between Propranolol and Bevacizumab groups (P=0.315, P= 0.123).
Conclusion: Conclusion: Topical administration of propranolol reduces corneal neovascularization in the short term, as topical bevacizumab does but the efficacy of long term treatment needs more investigations.
Key Words:Corneal Neovascularization, Propranolol, Bevacizumab, Topical.
