The Effect of Interferon Alpha 2a Subconjunctival Injection on New Blood Vessel Growth and Regression in Rabbit Cornea.

Kim, Seung Gi; Kim, Yong Yeon; Lee, Tae Soo

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 1995;36(3):361-366.
Published online March 1, 1995.

The Effect of Interferon Alpha 2a Subconjunctival Injection on New Blood Vessel Growth and Regression in Rabbit Cornea.

Seung Gi Kim, Yong Yeon Kim, Tae Soo Lee

Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.

Interferon alpha 2a 결막하주사가 가토 각막 신생혈관 형성 및 퇴행에 미치는 영향

김승기(Seung Gi Kim),김용연(Yong Yeon Kim),이태수(Tae Soo Lee)

Abstract

The authors studied the effect of locally administered interferon alpha on ocular neovascularization. Ten albino rabbits were divided into two groups and the effect of interferon subconjunctival injection on new blood vessel growth(group I) and regression of established neovasculization(group II) was observed in rabbit cornea. A 7-0 mersilk suture was placed into the corneal stroma 3 mm from the superior limbus of each eye in 5 rabbits in group I. Interferon alpha 2a(1.5 million units/day) was injected subconjunctivally in one eye for 7 days(group I a), the contralateral eye received 0.5 ml of normal saline(group I b). New vessel growth was measured using a grading system(grade 0 to 4) by a masked observer. In group II, 15 days after the placement of corneal suture for the development of complete corneal neovascularization, interferon alpha 2a(1.5 million units/day, group II a) and normal saline(group II b) was injected for 9 days in each eye in 5 rabbits to observe regression of the new vessels. Interferon injection eyes showed slower corneal new vessel growth than the control eyes in group I at 5 and 10 days after placement of the suture(p<0.05), but the authors did not observe regression of the new vessels after 9-days injection of interferon in group II.

Key Words: Interferon alpha;Neovascularization;Subconjunctival injection