Restoration of corneal epithelial barrier function and wound healing by substance P and IGF-1 in rats with capsaicin-induced neurotrophic keratopathy

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2003 Jul;44(7):2937-40. doi: 10.1167/iovs.02-0868.

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effects of topical application of the combination of substance P (SP) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 on corneal epithelial barrier function and epithelial wound closure in rats with capsaicin-induced neurotrophic keratopathy.

Methods: Neonatal rats were injected subcutaneously with a single dose of capsaicin to induce neurotrophic keratopathy. Corneal epithelial barrier function was evaluated with an anterior fluorophotometer. Tear fluid secretion was measured by the Schirmer test. Corneal epithelial wound healing was determined by measurement of the size of the epithelial defect after debridement of the entire epithelium. The combination of SP (1 mM) and IGF-1 (1 micro g/mL) in phosphate-buffered saline was administered in eye drops six times daily.

Results: Corneal epithelial barrier function was impaired and corneal epithelial wound healing was delayed in rats injected with capsaicin. The application of eye drops containing the combination of SP and IGF-1 to capsaicin-injected rats resulted in a significant improvement in corneal epithelial barrier function compared with that apparent in capsaicin-injected animals that received eye drops containing vehicle alone. Such treatment with SP and IGF-1 also significantly increased the rate of corneal epithelial wound closure in capsaicin-injected animals.

Conclusions: Topical application of the combination of SP and IGF-1 improved both corneal epithelial barrier function and epithelial wound healing in an animal model of neurotrophic keratopathy.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Topical
  • Animals
  • Biological Transport / drug effects
  • Capsaicin / toxicity
  • Cornea / innervation
  • Cornea / physiology*
  • Corneal Diseases / chemically induced
  • Corneal Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Corneal Diseases / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Epithelium, Corneal / physiology
  • Female
  • Fluorescein / metabolism
  • Fluorophotometry
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / administration & dosage
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Ophthalmic Solutions
  • Pregnancy
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Substance P / administration & dosage
  • Substance P / therapeutic use*
  • Tears / metabolism
  • Trigeminal Nerve Diseases / chemically induced
  • Trigeminal Nerve Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Trigeminal Nerve Diseases / metabolism
  • Wound Healing / drug effects*

Substances

  • Ophthalmic Solutions
  • Substance P
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
  • Capsaicin
  • Fluorescein