title: Effects of epidermal growth factor in artificial tear on vitamin C levels of corneal wounded eye tissues.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of artificial tear (AT) solution and epidermal growth factor (EGF) treatment on the cornea and aqueous humour ascorbic acid (AA) levels of full-thickness corneal wounded eyes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effect of EGF on the AA levels of aqueous humour and corneal wound tissue was determined in full-thickness corneal wounded rabbit eyes on the seventh post-operative day. There were three groups: untreated controls, AT-treated controls and an EGF+AT-treated experimental group (n = 6 in each group). Corneal wounded eyes were topically treated with 5 microl AT or 5 microl EGF in AT (1 mg/l EGF in AT prepaaration which contained 3.0% carbopol 940) twice daily for 6 days after operation. The wound strengths were also measured on the seventh post-operative day as a measure of wound healing. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Mann-Whitney U-test by Statview program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The wound strengths of corneas, and AA levels of wound tissues and aqueous humour, increased significantly following AT and EGF treatment (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the corneal wounded eye, aqueous humour serves as a source of vitamin C and there may be a relation between EGF treatment in AT and AA levels of corneal wounded eye tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. hbcgonul@turk.net
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gönül
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bilgihan
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Budak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D003315:Cornea / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D065306:Corneal Injuries; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011817:Rabbits; D013718:Tensile Strength / Q000187:drug effects; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D001205:Ascorbic Acid