The effect of ozone (O3) therapy in addition to high dose methylprednisolone on hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) expression in rabbit cornea

Abstract

Introduction: To investigate the effectof ozone (O3) therapy on cornea subjected to systemically used high dosemethylprednisolone (MP) in a rabbit model. Methods: Twenty-four New Zealand White adult malerabbits were randomly divided into three equal groups as containing eightanimals. The first group (n = 8) was used as the control group and nothing wasapplied to them, whereas the other 2 groups named as steroid groups weresubjected to IM methylprednisolone injection at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day forthree days. After three days of MP administration, only the third group wastreated with 50-µg/mL O3 (20 mL O3) through the rectal insufflation for 14sessions. The histopathological examination of corneas of three groups weremade, and they were also assessed regarding the expression of hypoxia-induciblefactor-1 α (HIF-1α).Results: It was determined that systemicallyadministered high dose MP caused erosion and necrosis in corneal epithelium andstromal disintegrations in corneal stroma in steroid groups (Group 2 and Group3). In the MP + O3 group (Group 3), the histopathological findings were mild.The expression of HIF1-α in the cornea of Group1 (control group), Group 2 (MP),and Group 3 (MP-O3) was measured as, 17.9±9.6%, 3.1±1.0% and 6.4±1.9% respectively.Conclusions: MP and MP-O3 therapy decreased HIF-1a expression in rabbit cornea inboth intervention groups. Between these two groups, HIF-1α expression remainedrelatively high in the MP-O3 group than in the MP group alone.

Keywords

• hipoksi ile indüklenebilir faktör 1 alfa subüniti
• tavşanlar
• ozon
• metilprednizolon
• kornea
• hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha subunit
• rabbits
• ozone
• methylprednisolone
• cornea