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The subconjunctival use of cetuximab and bevacizumab in inhibition of corneal angiogenesis

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the effects of cetuximab and bevacizumab on experimental rat model of corneal angiogenesis.

Methods

The right eyes of 28 male Sprague–Dawley rats were included in silver nitrate cauterization-induced corneal angiogenesis model. They were divided into four groups: (1) silver nitrate cauterization-induced and 0.15 ml serum physiologic was given to the angiogenesis group, (2) bevacizumab was given 1.25 mg to the bevacizumab group, (3) cetuximab was given 5 mg to the cetuximab group, and (4) 1.25 mg bevacizumab plus 5 mg cetuximab were given to the bevacizumab + cetuximab group. All eyes were exposed to the treatment on days 1, 4, and 7 of the experiment, and drugs were given subconjunctivally. The left eyes were untreated and used as sham. On day 8, the treated eyes were evaluated biomicroscopically. Then, the rats were sacrificed, and corneal specimens were prepared for histopathologic examinations.

Results

The degree of angiogenesis inhibition was observed as 50.8 % in bevacizumab, 54.3 % in cetuximab, and 15.8 % in bevacizumab + cetuximab groups by biomicroscopic evaluation. According to the histopathological and immunohistochemical findings obtained from the present study, the amount of angiogenesis was determined to have decreased considerably in both the bevacizumab and cetuximab groups; also, relatively less inhibiton was observed in the bevacizumab + cetuximab group.

Conclusion

Subconjunctival injection of cetuximab and bevacizumab is effective in reducing corneal angiogenesis in silver nitrate cauterization induced angiogenesis model of rats. Further investigation is needed to assess the potential side-effects of the drugs, especially cetuximab.

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Acknowledgement

This study was supported by Scientific Research Fund of Dicle University. The authors have no financial interest in any of the products mentioned in the manuscript. We would like to thank English Lecturer Ibrahim Tunik for his checking the manuscript in terms of its grammar and spelling errors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Dicle, Diyarbakır, Turkey

    Selcuk Tunik, Yusuf Nergiz & Murat Akkus

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Dicle, Diyarbakır, Turkey

    Ugur Keklikci

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  1. Selcuk Tunik
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  2. Yusuf Nergiz
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  4. Murat Akkus
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Correspondence to Selcuk Tunik.

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Tunik, S., Nergiz, Y., Keklikci, U. et al. The subconjunctival use of cetuximab and bevacizumab in inhibition of corneal angiogenesis. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 250, 1161–1167 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-012-2008-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-012-2008-6

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