EFFECT OF TOPICAL ANTIOXIDANT THERAPY ON EXPERIMENTAL INFECTIOUS KERATITIS

To test the effect that the treatment with topical antioxidants may ha ve on corneal infection, we have studied the effect of topically appli ed antioxidants, such as dimethylthiourea 0.5% (DMTU) and dismutase su peroxide 0.2% (SOD), on infectious experimental keratitis caused by St aphylococcus aureus. We have quantified the results of the incubated c orneas in ex vivo as well as in in vivo treated with antioxidants by u sing the luminol amplified chemiluminesence technique (LAG). The evalu ation of corneal inflammation was performed calculating the average in flammatory index obtained from the clinical observation of the corneal secretion, corneal edema and ciliary injection. The evolution of the corneal infiltration was evaluated by means of computerized planymetry . The antioxidants used in this study demonstrated a significant reduc tion of the LAC values when compared with a control group both in the in vivo as well as in ex vivo studies. No significant differences in t he clinical evaluation of the average inflammatory index were observed between the study and the control groups. However, a significant incr ease in the corneal infiltration was registered in the antioxidant tre ated group (p < 0.001) evaluated by computerized planymetry. Our resul ts indicate that the use of antioxidants as antiinflammatory drugs may have a potential negative influence on the course of infectious kerat itis.