Inhibition of experimental corneal neovascularisation by bevacizumab (Avastin)

Manzano, Roberta P A
Peyman, Gholam A
Khan, Palwasha
Carvounis, Petros E
Kivilcim, Muhamet
Ren, Min
Lake, Jonathan C
Chévez-Barrios, Patricia

¹Department of Ophthalmology, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
²Department of Ophthalmology, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
³Department of Ophthalmology, University of Arizona, Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Correspondence to: Dr G A Peyman Department of Ophthalmology, University of Arizona, 655 N Alvernon Way, Ste 108, Tucson, AZ 85711, USA; [email protected]

Accepted 09 December 2006

Published Online First 19 December 2006

Competing interests: None.

British Journal of Ophthalmology 91(6):p 804-807, June 2007.

Aim:

To evaluate the effect of topically administered bevacizumab (Avastin) on experimental corneal neovascularisation in rats.

Methods:

Silver nitrate sticks (75% silver nitrate, 25% potassium nitrate) were used to perform chemical cauterisation on the corneas of 16 eyes from 16 male Long Evans rats. For the following 7 days, the 10 eyes in the treatment group were instilled with bevacizumab 4 mg/ml drops twice daily, whereas the 6 eyes in the control group received placebo (normal saline drops twice daily). Digital photographs of the cornea were analysed to determine the area of cornea covered by neovascularisation as a percentage of the total corneal area.

Results:

In the bevacizumab-treated eyes, neovascularisation covered, on average, 38.2% (15.5%) (mean (SD)) of the corneal surface compared with 63.5% (5.0%) in the control group (p<0.02, Mann–Whitney U test).

Conclusion:

Topically administered bevacizumab (Avastin) at a concentration of 4 mg/ml limits corneal neovascularisation following chemical injury in the male Long Evans rat model.