title: Effect of trapping vascular endothelial growth factor-A in a murine model of dry eye with inflammatory neovascularization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether trapping vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) would suppress angiogenesis and inflammation in dry eye corneas in a murine corneal suture model.
  
  
  METHODS
  We established two groups of animals, one with non-dry eyes and the other with induced dry eyes. In both groups, a corneal suture model was used to induce inflammation and neovascularization. Each of two groups was again divided into three subgroups according to the treatment; subgroup I (aflibercept), subgroup II (dexamethasone) and subgroup III (phosphate buffered saline, PBS). Corneas were harvested and immunohistochemical staining was performed to compare the extents of neovascularization and CD11b+ cell infiltration. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to quantify the expression of inflammatory cytokines and VEGF-A in the corneas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Trapping VEGF-A with aflibercept resulted in significantly decreased angiogenesis and inflammation compared with the dexamethasone and PBS treatments in the dry eye corneas (allP<0.05), but with no such effects in non-dry eyes. The anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic effects of VEGF-A trapping were stronger than those of dexamethasone in both dry eye and non-dry eye corneas (allP<0.05). The levels of RNA expression of VEGF-A, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 in the aflibercept subgroup were significantly decreased compared with those in the PBS subgroup in the dry eye group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with non-dry eye corneas, dry eye corneas have greater amounts of inflammation and neovascularization and also have a more robust response to anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic agents after ocular surface surgery. Trapping VEGF-A is effective in decreasing both angiogenesis and inflammation in dry eye corneas after ocular surface surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 93 Ji-Dong, Paldal-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 16247, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 93 Ji-Dong, Paldal-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 16247, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jin A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Medical Science, St. Vincent's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, 93 Ji-Dong, Paldal-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do16247, South Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 93 Ji-Dong, Paldal-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 16247, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Yoon
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: La
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 93 Ji-Dong, Paldal-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 16247, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Jee
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 93 Ji-Dong, Paldal-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 16247, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon Woong
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 93 Ji-Dong, Paldal-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 16247, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yang Kyung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Cho
keywords: aflibercept; dexamethasone; dry eye; inflammation; neovascularization