title: Mesenchymal stem cells improve healing of the cornea after alkali injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to ameliorate the consequences of corneal alkali injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Corneal alkali injuries were created in 30 rabbit eyes. The MSC group (n = 15) were treated with intrastromal and subconjunctival injections of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing 2 × 10(6) MSCs and topical application. The control group (n = 15) was treated with PBS by the same applications forms. Drops of standard treatment (ascorbate 10 %, citrate 10 %, tobramycin, dexamethasone, Cyclogyl) were instilled for 2 weeks. Rabbits underwent slit-lamp examination, fluorescein staining, photography, and were evaluated for corneal neovascularization, opacification, and epithelial defects. Tear secretion and IOP were also evaluated. Furthermore, the concentration of Serumglutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and vascular endothelial factor (VEGF) were measured. Immunohistochemistry was also performed for a-SMA and Ki-67.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eyes treated with MSCs showed better recovery. The mean neovascularized area was significantly smaller in the MSC group (p < 0.05). A significant difference in the degree of corneal opacification and re-epithelialization was also observed, as well as the IOP at 21 and 28 posttraumatic days (p < 0.05). Histology showed that MSCs resulted in almost normal architecture of eye tissues. After the MSCs infusion, SGPT and VEGF levels in cornea were significantly reduced. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated a reduction of a-SMA in the MSC group with higher mitotic-regenerative activity with the presence of Ki67.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study represents a first step in understanding the possibilities of the MSC approach to treatment of alkali injuries of the cornea and shows that such an approach improves clinical outcomes and leads to better prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, almaliotis_diamantis@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: Diamantis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Almaliotis
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koliakos
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papakonstantinou
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komnenou
authors.forename: Angelos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Spiros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petrakis
authors.forename: Ilias
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nakos
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gounari
authors.forename: Vasileios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Karampatakis
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016510:Corneal Neovascularization / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003318:Corneal Opacity / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D062326:Re-Epithelialization / Q000502:physiology; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D015415:Biomarkers; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide; D000410:Alanine Transaminase