Ms. Loughnan et al., EXPERIMENTAL CORNEAL NEOVASCULARIZATION USING SUCRALFATE AND BASIC FIBROBLAST GROWTH-FACTOR, Australian and New Zealand journal of ophthalmology, 24(3), 1996, pp. 289-295
Purpose: To develop a non-inflammatory model of both acute and chronic
angiogenesis in the rabbit cornea using a known directly angiogenic c
ytokine. Methods: Pellets made of the slow-release polymer Hydron (pol
yhydroxyethylmethacrylate) and containing sucralfate and/or basic fibr
oblast growth factor (basic-FGF) were implanted into rabbit corneas. T
he neovascular response to the implantation of pellets containing basi
c-FGF alone, sucralfate alone or a titration of basic-FGF in the prese
nce of a constant amount of sucralfate was measured. The role of infla
mmation in the neovascular response was also investigated. Results: Th
e addition of sucralfate to the pellets led to the sustained release o
f basic-FGF resulting in a predictable and aggressive neovascular resp
onse with a low dose of basic-FGF that by itself was unable to elicit
neovascularisation. At a dose of 500 ng per pellet, approximately one-
third of the surface area of the cornea was vascularised within eight
days of implantation. Minimal or no vascularisation occurred with the
same dose of basic-FGF without sucralfate. White this dose of basic-FG
F induced corneal oedema, only minimal inflammation was observed and t
he response was unaffected by ionising radiation. A less aggressive th
ough still robust neovascular response with no or only minimal oedema
was observed when the dose was lowered to 50 ng of basic-FGF per pelle
t. Some induced Vessels persisted for more than three months. Conclusi
on: This is an inexpensive in vivo model of angiogenesis with the adva
ntages of the neovascularisation being aggressive, predictable, persis
tent, unassociated with an obvious inflammatory response and induced b
y the sustained release of an agent known to have a direct stimulatory
action on endothelial cells.