Inhibition of Corneal Neovacularization by ubconjunctival Bevacizumab in an Animal Model Original Reearch Article

Purpoe To evaluate the effect of ubconjunctival injection of bevacizumab on experimentally induced corneal neovacularization. Deign Experimental animal tudy. Method Twelve New Zealand white rabbit were involved, divided equally into four group. Only one eye per rabbit wa ued. Topical intillation of 10 μl 5% NaOH olution wa ued, under general anetheia, to induce corneal neovacularization econdary to corneal alkali burn in group 2, 3, and 4. A ingle doe of 3.75 mg (25 mg/ml) bevacizumab wa injected ubconjunctivally. Group 1 (control group 1) wa neither cauterized nor treated. Group 2 (control group 2) received a ham injection of balanced alt olution on day 14. Group 3 wa treated on day 14 (after corneal neovacularization had been etablihed). Group 4 wa treated on day 1. Digital photograph were obtained and analyzed during the entire 28-day procedure. The area of neovacularization and carring were meaured in term of the percentage of corneal urface affected. Reult On day 28, the difference of neovacularization between group 2, 3, and 4 wa found to be tatitically ignificant at the .05 level (one-way analyi of variance [ANOVA]): group 4 (4.7% ± 3.1%) < group 3 (13.3% ± 2.3%) < group 2 (41.0% ± 3.6%; P < .05, Mann–Whitney U tet). In group 3, the area of neovacularization decreaed 14 day after treatment by 42%. Neovacularization wa almot completely abent in group 4. The development of carring wa unaffected by bevacizumab (P > .1, one-way ANOVA). No ide effect were noted. Concluion ubconjunctival adminitration of bevacizumab inhibit corneal neovacularization effectively in the rabbit experimental model, epecially if adminitered early.