Acacia honey accelerates in vitro corneal ulcer wound healing model.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The study aimed to evaluate the effects of Acacia honey (AH) on the migration, differentiation and healing properties of the cultured rabbit corneal fibroblasts. METHODS:Stromal derived corneal fibroblasts from New Zealand White rabbit (n?=?6) were isolated and cultured until passage 1. In vitro corneal ulcer was created using a 4 mm corneal trephine onto confluent cultures and treated with basal medium (FD), medium containing serum (FDS), with and without 0.025 % AH. Wound areas were recorded at day 0, 3 and 6 post wound creation. Genes and proteins associated with wound healing and differentiation such as aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), vimentin, alpha-smooth muscle actin (?-SMA), collagen type I, lumican and matrix metalloproteinase 12 (MMP12) were evaluated using qRT-PCR and immunocytochemistry respectively. RESULTS:Cells cultured with AH-enriched FDS media achieved complete wound closure at day 6 post wound creation. The cells cultured in AH-enriched FDS media increased the expression of vimentin, collagen type I and lumican genes and decreased the ALDH, ?-SMA and MMP12 gene expressions. Protein expression of ALDH, vimentin and ?-SMA were in accordance with the gene expression analyses. CONCLUSION:These results demonstrated AH accelerate corneal fibroblasts migration and differentiation of the in vitro corneal ulcer model while increasing the genes and proteins associated with stromal wound healing.

SUBMITTER: Abd Ghafar N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4966736 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature