Repair Effect of Bovine Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor on UV-damaged Cornea

OBJECTIVE To observe the repair effect of bovine basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) on UV-damaged corneal in rats. METHODS Thirty healthy male SD rats (♂, 200~250 g) without eye disease were randomly divided into 3 groups, 10 in each group. Normal control group was fed routinely without ultraviolet irradiation. After 42 d of ultraviolet irradiation, bFGF eye drops were given to the treatment group after modeling. Irradiation group was given the same amount of saline eye drops, the samples were taken 14 d later. Slit lamp examination, fluorescein staining, and tear film break-up time(BUT) were measured every 7 d during treatment. TUNEL was used to detect apoptosis index of corneal cells, and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Bax and Bcl-2. RESULTS The cornea of model rats had been opacity and neovascularization after ultraviolet irradiation. After treatment, the neovascularization and corneal opacity were severe in irradiation group. Compared with irradiation group, the neovascularization in irradiation treatment group was only at the limbus and the cornea was basically transparent; the degree of corneal opacity was reduced(P<0.05); the mean value of BUT increased with the prolongation of treatment time; the death index of cornea decreased(P<0.05); Bcl-2/Bax was increased significantly (P<0.05). CONCLUSION bFGF can significantly reduce corneal damage caused by ultraviolet radiation, and its mechanism may be related to increasing Bcl-2 protein expression, decreasing Bax protein expression and up-regulating Bcl-2/Bax ratio.