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Bone marrow-derived progenitor cells promote corneal wound healing following alkali injury

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Abstract

Purpose

To determine whether bone marrow-derived progenitor cells can be stimulated by inflammatory mediators and play a role in corneal wound healing following alkali injury.

Methods

Sixty rabbits were divided into two groups( Group I and Group II). Group I served as a bone marrow-suppression model, and received 200 mg/kg cyclophosphamide. Corneal alkali injury was created in one eye of each rabbit in each group; the other eye served as control. Three days after corneal burn, inflammatory cells in peripheral blood were counted. At the end of 4 weeks follow-up, corneas of all rabbits were subjected to histochemical examination to assess infiltrated CD34 and C-kit positive cells. Clinical outcome was determined at the end of 4 weeks.

Results

Cyclophosphamide suppressed bone marrow function in Group I by reducing cellularity by more than 30% and neutrophil distribution by 3.18 ± 1.83%. The number of bone marrow hematopoietic and mesenchymal progenitor cells were all suppressed by cyclophophamide, as demonstrated by statistically significant differences between Group I and Group II of CD34+ cells (t = −21.62, P < 0.01) and C-Kit cells (t = −21.62, P < 0.01). Fewer inflammatory cells were released into circulation in Group I (14.42 ± 5.70%) than in Group II (44.36 ± 8.64%). Clinical observation revealed that Group II rabbits had much greater reepithelization (t = 6.999, P < 0.01) and clearer corneas (X 2 = 4.417, P < 0.01) than Group I.

Conclusions

Corneal alkali injury is a stimulus that induces a rapid bone marrow reaction to release not only inflammatory cells but also progenitor cells into circulation. Migrated bone marrow-derived progenitor cells can home to local sites to promote wound healing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, College of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

    Juan Ye & Ke Yao

  2. Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Juan Ye, Sang Yeul Lee & Koung Hoon KooK

Authors
  1. Juan Ye
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  2. Sang Yeul Lee
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  3. Koung Hoon KooK
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  4. Ke Yao
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ke Yao.

Additional information

Authors have no financial interest in any product or concept discussed in article.

Grant: China National Scientific Fund 30500552. Research Fund of Health Bureau of Zhejiang Province, PR China. 2005QN006.

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Ye, J., Lee, S.Y., KooK, K.H. et al. Bone marrow-derived progenitor cells promote corneal wound healing following alkali injury. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 246, 217–222 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-007-0716-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-007-0716-0

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