Topically administered bevacizumab had longer standing anti-angiogenic effect than subconjunctivally injected bevacizumab in rat corneal neovacularization.

AIM To compare the effect of topically administered and subconjunctivally injected bevacizumab on experimental corneal neovascularization in rats for two weeks after treatment. METHODS Twenty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups of 7 animals. Each corneal center of right eye was cauterized with silver/potassium nitrate for 8s. After corneal burning, bevacizumab (12.5mg/mL) was topically administered three times per day (TB group) for two weeks or subconjunctivally injected on days 2 and 4 after cauterization (0.02mL; SB group). As negative controls, rats received 0.9% saline topically three times per day (TS group) or subconjunctivally on days 2 and 4 (0.02mL; SS group). Digital photographs of the cornea were taken 1 and 2 weeks after treatment and analyzed to determine the area of cornea covered by neovascularization as the percentage of corneal neovascularization. RESULTS One week after treatment, the percentage of corneal neovascularization was significantly lower in the TB and SB groups than in the TS and SS groups (all P<0.05). Two weeks after treatment, the percentage of corneal neovascularization was significantly lower in the TB group than in the TS group (P<0.05). In all groups, the percentage of neovascularization was decreasing as time passed (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION Topically administered bevacizumab has longer standing anti-angiogenic effect than subconjunctivally injected bevacizumab in corneal neovascularization following chemical injury in rats.