Journal Article

Safety and efficacy of tacrolimus-coated silicone plates as an alternative to mitomycin C in a rabbit model of conjunctival fibrosis

Kim, Eun-Soon, Suh, Leejee H., Kim, Jae Yong, Tchah, Hungwon, Han, Gill Sang, Jung, Hyun Suk, Yoon, Sam Young

2019

Overview

To find safer and more effective drugs than mitomycin C to prevent conjunctival fibrosis in a rabbit model. Twenty-four rabbits were involved and randomly divided into four groups. Limbus-based peritomy was performed at the superior cornea, and normal saline (NS group), mitomycin C (MMC group), SR (SR group), or TC (TC group)-coated silicone plate was inserted at the sub-Tenon's space in each group. Conjunctival congestion was evaluated at 1 and 4 weeks postoperatively. At 4 weeks, the numbers of inflammatory cells, fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, blood vessels, and goblet cells were counted in the conjunctiva and Tenon's capsule around the silicone plate. At 4 weeks, conjunctival congestion was significantly less than that observed at 1 week in the SR and TC groups (p < 0.05), whereas the number of myofibroblasts was significantly lower in the MMC and TC groups (p < 0.05). The conjunctiva was significantly less congested in the TC group versus the other groups at 1 week and 4 weeks (p < 0.05). The TC group had the lowest number of inflammatory cells and MMC group had the lowest number of goblet cells among all groups (p < 0.05). The TC-coated silicone plate was more effective in inhibiting inflammation and fibrosis versus the MMC-coated silicone plate and was associated with fewer adverse effects in the rabbit model.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Animals / Antineoplastic agents / Behavior / Bevacizumab / Biology and Life Sciences / Blood vessels / Cardiology / Coating / Coatings / Comparative analysis / Congestion / Conjunctiva / Conjunctiva - pathology / Conjunctiva - surgery / Conjunctival Diseases - surgery / Conjunctival Diseases - therapy / Conjunctivitis / Contact angle / Cornea / Cornea - surgery / Coronary vessels / Disease Models, Animal / Drug therapy / Drugs / Engineering and Technology / Fibroblasts / Fibroblasts - drug effects / Fibrosis / Fibrosis - surgery / Fibrosis - therapy / Glaucoma / Goblet Cells / Growth factors / Inflammation / Male / Materials science / Mediation / Medicine / Medicine and Health Sciences / Methods / Mitomycin / Mitomycin - metabolism / Mitomycin - pharmacology / Mitomycin C / Patient outcomes / Physical Sciences / Rabbits / Research and Analysis Methods / Rubber / Silicon wafers / Silicones / Stents / Tacrolimus / Tacrolimus - metabolism / Tacrolimus - pharmacology / Tenon Capsule - surgery / Thin films / Titanium / Transplants & implants / Wound healing