FEATURES OF THE INFLAMMATORY PROCESS IN RABBITS WITH MECHANICAL NON-PENETRATING CORNEAL INJURY AND ITS CORRECTION USING STEM CELLS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/1811-2471.2025.v.i3.15442Keywords:
mechanical corneal injury, nitroblue tetrazolium test, lipid peroxidation, correction, stem cellsAbstract
SUMMARY. Recent studies have demonstrated a significant role of neutrophil infiltration and activation of lipid peroxidation processes in the pathogenesis of corneal injury.
The aim – to evaluate the dynamics of oxygen-dependent processes in the body and the NBT test as a marker of inflammation in rabbits with corneal injury, as well as the effectiveness of correction using mesenchymal stem cells.
Material and Methods. Epithelial incisions were made in the upper part of the cornea using a trephine, followed by removal of the epithelium along with the anterior stromal layer. Local anesthesia was performed using 0.5 % Alcaine solution and 2 % lidocaine solution. For therapeutic correction, Corneregel and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the umbilical cord were used. In blood and corneal homogenates, concentrations of initial, intermediate, and final lipid peroxidation products were measured – reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid hydroperoxides (LHP), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and Schiff bases (SB). Inflammatory activity was assessed using the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) test. Additionally, the reserve index (RI) and neutrophil activation coefficient (NAC) were calculated.
Results. Mechanical corneal trauma in rabbits induced a rapid and intense local inflammatory response characterized by massive neutrophil infiltration and high production of lipid peroxidation products. A sharp but uneven increase in both spontaneous and induced NBT test values was observed, along with a simultaneous decrease in RI and NAC. Lipid peroxidation products increased primarily in the early stages, followed by partial reduction by day 28. The use of corrective agents was associated with a less pronounced increase in NBT test indicators, normalization of RI and NAC by the end of the experiment, and a significantly lower increase in lipid peroxidation products, which normalized by day 28. Combined use of Corneregel and MSCs showed the highest efficacy.
Conclusions. Under conditions of mechanical corneal injury, the administration of mesenchymal stem cells effectively modulates the ocular immune response, reduces neutrophil activity and lipid peroxidation, thereby normalizing the level of inflammatory activity.
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