Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences

Abstract

The aim of the study was to compare the effects of corneal healing in case of application of stem cells in various forms, in relation to the antibiotic-assisted procedures. Rabbits were divided into 4 groups in the first stage of the experiment. Group 0 (negative control group) was not subjected to any actions, which would cause damage to the cornea. The remaining three groups had their cornea damaged. Group 1 (positive control group) -no drugs were administered during the experiment. Rabbits in group 2 were administered with ointment containing stem cells to the lesion, while group 3 -with ofloxacinum. The stem cells were administered during the first five days, twice a day, onto the corneal surface. The further course of the experiment consisted of observing the rate of healing of the injured cornea and assessment of its transparency, size of lesion, hyperaemia, eyelid spasm and outflow from the conjunctival sac after 5, 10 and 20 days.In the second stage the animals were euthanised after clinical examination on the twentieth day of the experiment, in order to analyse the corneal reparative processes on the same day. The studies revealed that the application of antlerogenic stem cells had a positive effect on the healing process of corneal defects. The application thereof not only shortened the healing time, but also weakened or arrested the development of side effects. The results have demonstrated that the epithelial proliferation in each group was different. The longest was maintained in the group with stem cells, the shortest -in the group with chemotherapeutics. The use of antlerogenic stem cells had a positive effect on the healing process of corneal lesions. The use of stem cells helped to maintain high transparency of the cornea.