[Effect of honey and autologous serum on corneal epithelial healing in rabbits].

PURPOSE To evaluate the efficacy of pure honey and 20% autologous serum and BSS in corneal epithelial healing in rabbits after 48 hours. METHODS All solutions were applied after an epithelial removal of 13-millimeters diameter area. Areas of epithelial healing were studied at 12, 24 and 48 hours. The eyes were treated every four hours during 2 days. All treated eyes were assigned to a control group (contralateral eye) treated with a balanced saline solution. RESULTS All studied groups were not significantly different. In group one, the eyes treated with honey and the control were similar (p<0.87). In the second group the eyes treated with autologous serum and the control presented no difference in the mean score (p<0.072). CONCLUSION Corneal epithelial healing in rabbits did not show improvement after application of either honey or autologous serum. It was possible to establish that the autologous serum treated eyes were clinically better than the control group but without statistical significance.