TREATMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL ACUTE CORNEAL INFLAMMATION WITH INHIBITORS OF THE OXIDATIVE-METABOLISM

The authors studied the effect of topical 2% 6-aminonicotinamide and 0 .1 % adenosine on an experimental model of acute corneal inflammation. Luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (LAC), as an indirect measurement of free-radical release, and computer-assisted planimetry of the corne al ulcer and its infiltrate were performed both ex vivo and in vivo on the fifth day following the induction of experimental alkali burn ker atitis. The authors proved that both drugs significantly inhibited LAC both ex vivo and in vivo and that such treatments had also a signific ant beneficial effect on the evolution of the corneal ulcer and its in filtrate. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this finding had not been previously reported in experimental corneal inflammation and may indicate that treatment with inhibitors of the oxidative metabolism co uld offer a new approach in the pharmacological modulation of acute co rneal inflammation.