Experimental use of the solution of growth factors from activated platelets in thermal burns

Relevance. One of the possible ways to accelerate the reparation and the regeneration of the damaged cornea in the early stages of burn disease is the use of the drugs containing biologically active substances secreted by cells. Purpose. To evaluate the effect of a solution of growth factors from activated platelets on the reparative properties of the cornea of rats with thermal eye burn by flame. Material and methods. An experimental study was conducted on 40 rats (40 eyes). A solution of growth factors from activated platelets (LLC Melsytech, Dzerzhinsk) was used as local therapy for burns in the main group (20 eyes), and a solution of 0.9% NaCl was used in the control group (20 eyes). The condition of the eyes was assessed using anterior segment optical coherence tomography, biomicroscopy and histological examination. Corneal gene expression was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Results. On the 18th day after the burn in the rats of the main group, the central corneal thickness (CCT) was 126 µm [103; 146] and did not significantly differ from the baseline values (p=0.477); in the control group, the CCT reached 222 µm [98; 308], which was statistically significantly higher than the preburn values (p=0.027). Corneal perforation occurred in 3 eyes of the main group (18.75%) and 9 eyes of the control group (56.25%) (p=0.038). Histological examination revealed a relatively low intensity of proliferative response, including the absence of excessive neovascularization and moderately expressed inflammatory manifestations in the eyes of the main group; in the control group, the progressive destructive process was accompanied by expressed secondary proliferative changes and reactive intraocular inflammation. According to qPCR data, the MMP2and VEGFgenes showed increased expression in the control group compared with the main group (p=0.001 and p=0.010, respectively). Conclusion. The use of a solution of growth factors from activated platelets in thermal burns accelerates the relief of inflammation in the cornea and ocular structures, reduces neovascularization and prevents excessive stroma lysis by suppressing the expression of VEGFand MMP2genes, which leads to a clinically significant effect of reducing the frequency of corneal perforations in the experiment. Key words: thermal burn, eye burn, cornea, growth factors, gene expression, corneal perforation