Arabinogalactan as Active Compound in the Management of Corneal Wounds: In Vitro Toxicity and In Vivo Investigations on Rabbits

Figures & data

FIGURE 1  Cell viability over the time after RCE exposure to different concentrations of AG and AG/BAK vs. AG concentration.

TABLE 1  Percent corneal hydration values determined gravimetrically after 1 hr of treatment

Formulation	HL%^a
GBR	78.76 ± 0.36
AG 2.0%	79.57 ± 0.44
BAK 0.004%	79.98 ± 0.36*
AG 2%/BAK 0.004%	79.68 ± 0.49

^aMean ± SE, n = 12.

*Significantly different (P < 0.05, t-test unpaired two-tailed) from GBR.

FIGURE 2  Reduction of the corneal defect area in rabbits after treatment with AG-Sol and AG-BAK solution (n = 8). Significantly different (Student’s unpaired t-test) from control, *P < 0.05, #P < 0.01 level.

FIGURE 3  Photomicrographs of damaged corneas, recovered spontaneously [(A) control, thickness 6 μm], or treated with: AG-Sol [(B) thickness 18 μm]; TSP [(C) thickness 18 μm]; and HA-Sol [(D) thickness 12 μm]; corneas were excised immediately before complete recovery of the corneal lesion. Scale bar = 20 μm. Legend: e = epithelium; s = stroma.

FIGURE 4  Fluorescence photomicrographs of rabbit corneal epithelial cells. (A) cells untreated; (B) and (C): cells incubated for 60 min with 2.5 and 5.0 mg/ml AG-FITC derivative, respectively. Scale bar, 10 μm.

FIGURE 5  Photomicrographs of corneal epithelium structure at LM [(A) AG-Sol treated, and (B) control; scale bar = 10 µm] and at TEM [(C), AG-Sol treated, and (D) control; scale bar = 1 µm) 24 hr post wounding. Legend: e = epithelium; is = intercellular space; m = microvilli; s = stroma.

FIGURE 6  Photomicrographs of corneal epithelium structure at LM [(A) AG-Sol treated, and (B) control; scale bar = 10 µm] and at TEM [(C) AG-Sol treated, and (D) control; scale bar = 1 µm] 48 hr post wounding. Legend: e = epithelium; g = glycocalyx; m = microvilli; s = stroma.

FIGURE 7  Photomicrographs of corneal epithelium structure at LM [(A) AG-Sol treated, and (B) control; scale bar = 10 µm] and at TEM [(C) AG-Sol treated, and (D) control; scale bar = 1 µm) 7 days post wounding. Legend: e = epithelium; g = glycocalyx; m = microvilli; s = stroma.

FIGURE 8  Morphological features of a healthy cornea at LM [(A) AG-Sol treated, and (B) control; scale bar = 10 µm] and at TEM [(C) AG-Sol treated, and (D) control; scale bar = 1 µm). Legend: e = epithelium; g = glycocalyx; m = microvilli; s = stroma.