Effect of cytochrome c peroxidase on the corneal epithelial healing process after excimer laser photo-ablation in transgenic mice.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the role of commercially prepared cytochrome c peroxidase eye drops in corneal epithelial healing of transgenic B6(A)-Rpe65rd12/J mice after excimer laser photo-ablation.


METHODS
In our prospective animal series, 72 eyes of 36 mice had uneventful bilateral excimer laser photo-ablation. In each mouse, one eye received standard topical postoperative therapy with tobramycin, diclofenac, and dexamethasone eye drops plus cytochrome c peroxidase eye drops (two drops three times a day for 1 week or until corneal re-epithelialization was complete, corresponding to 15,000 IU/day). The fellow eye served as the control and received standard postoperative therapy plus placebo. The mice were monitored daily, commencing on the day after surgery, for 7 days to evaluate the corneal re-epithelialization rate using a video slit lamp camera with cobalt blue light. The mean diameter of the corneal wounds was measured. Videotaped images were recorded and analyzed by computer planimetry.


RESULTS
All eyes treated with cytochrome c peroxidase eye drops healed completely before day 5 after surgery, with a mean re-epithelialization time of 92 +/- (SD) 10 h; the mean re-epithelialization time was 121 +/- 8 h in the eyes receiving placebo (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in corneal haze presentation during the follow-up period (p = 0.70), perhaps because the observation period was too short (7 days). However, the corneal clarity, on slit lamp biomicroscopy, in the study group was higher than that in the control group. No side effects or toxic effects were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that cytochrome c peroxidase significantly accelerates epithelial healing after phototherapeutic keratectomy. Further clinical studies should be performed to prove the results obtained in this study and the long-term efficacy of cytochrome c peroxidase to prevent corneal haze.
Scorolli
L
L
Department of Pathophysiological Optics, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. luciascorolli@yahoo.it
Meduri
A
A
Morara
M
M
Scalinci
S Z
SZ
Meduri
R A
RA
D000818:Animals; D003578:Cytochrome-c Peroxidase / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000235:genetics; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D003578:Cytochrome-c Peroxidase