MK2 activation by p38 MAPK selectively induces inflammation in various diseases. We determined if a MK2 inhibitor (MK2i), improves cornea wound healing by inhibiting inflammation caused by burning rat corneas with alkali. Our study, for the first time, demonstrated that MK2i inhibited alkali burn-induced MK2 activation as well as rises in inflammation based on: a) blunting rises in inflammatory...

Human recombinant epidermal growth factor (hEGF) was evaluated in various corneal wound healing models in the rabbit. Human EGF accelerated epithelial wound healing in corneal reepithelialization, anterior-keratectomy, and alkali-burn models at concentrations of 10-500 micrograms/ml given four times daily (qid). In the corneal reepithelialization model, 100 micrograms/ml of hEGF qid produced a ...

We produced alkali burns (1.5 N NaOH) in the right eyes of 63 mice. Three weeks later the left eye of each mouse was similarly burned. All eyes were followed up weekly for 4 weeks after the burn and were graded according to the severity of the lesion. The lesions developed much faster and were more severe in the left eyes. These results suggest that the body's immune mechanism participates in t...

Epithelial cells are involved in the regulation of innate and adaptive immunity in response to different stresses. The purpose of this study was to investigate if alkali-injured corneal epithelia activate innate immunity through the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein (NOD)-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome pathway. A unilateral alkali ...

Corneal neovascularization (CoNV), a pathological form of angiogenesis, involves the growth blood and lymph vessels into avascular cornea from limbus adversely affects transparency vision. Alkali burn is one most common forms ocular trauma that leads to CoNV. In this protocol, CoNV experimentally induced using sodium hydroxide solution in controlled manner ensure reproducibility. The alkali mod...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) and alkali burns are associated with chronic, severe inflammation of the ocular surface that occasionally lead to corneal stem cell deficiencies. The corneal stroma in these diseases has not been studied comprehensively. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the keratocytes in the stroma were normal...

PURPOSE To investigate the efficacy of topical applied aloe vera (AV) and to facilitate the repair of the standardized alkaline corneal ulcer in normal and diabetic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS The corneal alkali-burn injury model was established unilaterally in Wistar rats by filter paper saturated with 0.01 M NaOH contacting the eyes for 45 seconds. Rats were divided into four groups: normal...