Effects of Interleukin-6 on Corneal Epithelial Wound Closure after Excimer Laser Surface Ablation in Rabbits.

Lee, Ja Young; Chung, Sung Kun; Moon, Jung Hyu; Rhee, Sang Wook

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 1998;39(3):453-464.
Published online March 1, 1998.

Effects of Interleukin-6 on Corneal Epithelial Wound Closure after Excimer Laser Surface Ablation in Rabbits.

Ja Young Lee, Sung Kun Chung, Jung Hyu Moon, Sang Wook Rhee

¹Department of Ophthalmology, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
²Moons Eye Clinic, Suwon, Korea.

엑시머레이저에 의한 가토의 표층 각막절제술후 Interleukin - 6 가 상피 창상치유에 미치는 영향

이자영(Ja Young Lee),정성근(Sung Kun Chung),문정휴(Jung Hyu Moon),이상욱(Sang Wook Rhee)

Abstract

To evaluate the effects of interleukin-6(IL-6) on epithelial migration in corneal epithelial wound healing process after excimer laser surface ablation, the morphologic changes as well as the healing rate of the defect area were observed on 30 rabbits(60 eyes). The animals were divided into three groups of twenty each: the control group and the two IL-6 treated groups(eye dropping with 0.1mg/L and 1.0mg/L of IL-6). On light microscopic examination, after 9 hours, centripetal migration of epithelial cells and covering of bare stroma with monolayered epithelial cells were more remarkable in the 1.0mg/L group than in the control group, reaching the peak at 18 hours. On transmission electron microscopic examination after 18 hour, the 1.0mg/L group showed the loss of hemidesmosome beneath the leading edge of sliding epithelial cell, other intracellular structures were well preserved. On scanning electron microscopic examination, epithelial migration started at 9 hour in all three groups and the epithelial migration was more rapid in the 1.0mg/L group than in the control group. Fifteen hours and afterwards, the healing rate was significantly accelerated in the 1.0mg/L group than in the control group. In view of the above findings, it was speculated that IL-6 could be used effectively in the early treatment of excimer laser keratectomy and other corneal epithelial injury.

Key Words: Corneal epithelial wound healing;Excimer laser surface ablation;Interleukin-6