Determination of the nerve growth factor level in the central cornea after LASIK and Epi-LASIK treatment in a rabbit model system.
OBJECTIVE
Corneal refractive surgery results in nerve damage. Nerve regeneration is a complex process that involves nerve growth factor (NGF). Here, a comparative study was conducted to determine the NGF level in the central cornea after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and epipolis laser in situ keratomileusis (epi-LASIK) treatment.


METHODS
Twenty-four New Zealand white rabbits underwent randomly assigned epi-LASIK treatment on 1 eye and LASIK treatment on the other eye. Experimental animals were sacrificed 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, and 1 month after treatment, and the NGF level was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analyses. Statistical analyses were performed using a Student t test (P < 0.05).


RESULTS
Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated a weak NGF signal in the cornea of control and LASIK-treated rabbit eyes. After epi-LASIK treatment, the level of NGF increased significantly in the epithelial layer at the 1- and 3-day time point, and returned to control levels 7 days after treatment. Western blot analyses showed that the NGF level was significantly lower after LASIK treatment as compared to epi-LASIK treatment, 1 day and 3 days after treatment (t = -6.50, -5.85; P = 0.023, 0.028), with no significant difference between the two groups at the 7-day and 1-month time points (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates for the first time that the NGF level in the central corneal epithelial layer of rabbit eyes is significantly increased early after epi-LASIK treatment in contrast to LASIK treatment, and decreased to control levels 1 week after treatment.
Wu
Ying
Y
Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Chu
Renyuan
R
Zhou
Xingtao
X
Dai
Jinhui
J
Qu
Xiaomei
X
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003315:Cornea / Q000378:metabolism*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ / Q000379:methods*; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D020932:Nerve Growth Factor