Effect of glucocorticoid (triamcinolone acetonide) pretreatment in a murine penetrating keratoplasty and suture model.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of glucocorticoid (triamcinolone acetonide injectable suspension) pretreatment on corneal neovascularization, lymphangiogenesis, and inflammation in a murine penetrating keratoplasty (PK) and corneal suture model.


METHODS
For the PK model, BALB/c mice were used as recipients and C57BL/6 mice were used as donors. A group pretreated with subconjunctival glucocorticoid and a combination of post-subconjunctival and topical glucocorticoids (group I) was compared with two groups that did not receive glucocorticoid pretreatment [one group received a combination of subconjunctival and topical glucocorticoids postoperatively (group II) and the other group received only topical glucocorticoid treatment postoperatively (group III)]. All groups were treated with subconjunctival glucocorticoid on the day of surgery. For the corneal suture model, BALB/c mice were used. A group receiving only pre-suture glucocorticoid treatment (group A) and a group receiving only post-suture glucocorticoid treatment (group C) were compared with a control group that did not receive glucocorticoid therapy (group B). The degree of neovascularization, lymphangiogenesis, and inflammatory infiltration was compared in each of these models.


RESULTS
In the PK model, the group receiving glucocorticoid pretreatment (group I) showed less neovascularization compared with the posttreatment-only groups (group II, P=0.043; group III, P=0.020) and less lymphangiogenesis compared with group III (P=0.005). In the corneal suture model, the glucocorticoid pretreatment group showed a similar level of neovascularization, lymphangiogenesis, and inflammatory infiltration as the posttreatment-only groups (P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Glucocorticoid pretreatment before PK decreases neovascularization and lymphangiogenesis compared with posttransplant glucocorticoid treatment alone.
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA. yangkyeung@hanmail.net
Yang K
YK
Cho
Hironori
H
Uehara
Jason R
JR
Young
Bonnie
B
Archer
Balamurali K
BK
Ambati
D000818:Animals; D016510:Corneal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D007634:Keratitis / Q000517:prevention & control; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D042583:Lymphangiogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011292:Premedication; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide