Effect of Epidermal Growth Factor on the Wound Healing after Excimer Laser Photokeratectomy in Rabbits.

Sah, Woo Jin; Kim, Seong Hwan; Kim, Jae Ho

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 1998;39(6):1125-1139.
Published online June 1, 1998.

Effect of Epidermal Growth Factor on the Wound Healing after Excimer Laser Photokeratectomy in Rabbits.

Woo Jin Sah, Seong Hwan Kim, Jae Ho Kim

Department of Ophthalmology Catholic University Medical College, Seoul, Korea.

토끼에서 표피성장인자가 액시머레이저 광각막절제후 창상치유에 미치는 영향

사우진(Woo Jin Sah),김성환(Seong Hwan Kim),김재호(Jae Ho Kim)

Abstract

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been believed to promote the corneal epithelial wound healing by stimulating the proliferation of the epithelial cells located at the wound base and limbus. Thus we made transepithelial photokeratectomy by excimer laser to cornpare the rate of corneal wound healing and the histological findings between a group received only photokeratectomy (control) and a group with photokeratectorny and topical EGF treatment. The results showed that the corneal epithelial wounds treated with EGF after excimer laser photokeratectomy was closed significantly faster than those without. EGF, PCNA immunoreactive cells appeared at. the basal cell layer of limbus and wound area in EGF-treated groups but, not, in control group These resuite suggest that EGF accelerates the corneal epithelial wound healing after excimer laser photokeratectomy by stimulating the proliferation of the basal cells of limbus and wound area and results in 8 faster wound healing time.

Key Words: Wound healing;Epidermal growth factor;Excimer laser photokeratectomy