Effect of topically administered epidermal growth factor on corneal wound strength
H. M. Leibowitz, S. Morello Jr, M. Stern and A. Kupferman
Department of Ophthalmology, University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118.
A 9-mm perforating corneal wound was created in one eye of New Zealand
albino rabbits, sutured, and treated with mouse-derived epidermal growth
factor (1 mg/L), human-derived epidermal growth factor (1.0 mg/L to 100
mg/L), or buffered saline, instilled once, twice, or four times daily. Both
mouse-derived epidermal growth factor and human-derived epidermal growth
factor significantly increased the tensile strength of full-thickness
corneal wounds after 9 days of topical therapy. For human-derived epidermal
growth factor, a concentration of 10 mg/L administered twice daily produced
the maximal effect. An increase in either the concentration of epidermal
growth factor or its frequency of administration failed to induce a further
increase in wound strength. Indeed, at a concentration of 100 mg/L,
human-derived epidermal growth factor appeared to lose its ability to
accelerate healing of full-thickness corneal wounds.
