Background and Objectives: Alkali damage to the cornea can be catastrophic and results in lifelong pain and visual loss. Investigation and comparison of the potential therapeutic effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs), and mesenchymal stem cells derived exosomes (MSCs-EX) in experimentally induced corneal alkali burn in rats were the goal of this work.
Material and Methods: 60 adult male albino rats were divided into: Donor group; 10 rats, Group I (Control group); 10 rats, and Group II (Alkali burn group); 40 rats. All rats of group II received right eyes corneal alkali burn by sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), then equally subdivided into: Subgroup II-a (spontaneous recovery subgroup): left untreated, Subgroup II-b (PRP treated subgroup): received a single subconjunctival injection of 0.5 ml PRP 2 hours after alkali burn, Subgroup II-c (ADSCs treated subgroup): received a single subconjunctival injection of 1.3 × 105 AMSCs; 1 hour after alkali burn and Subgroup II-d (MSCs-EX treated subgroup): received a single subconjunctival injection of 100 μg protein/mL MSCs-EX; 1 hour after alkali burn. Rats were sacrificed after 3 weeks, then right eyes' corneas were excised for histological, morphometric, and statistical analysis.
Results: Deterioration of corneal histological architecture was detected in subgroup II-a, in the form of degeneration and desquamation of corneal epithelial and endothelial cells, degenerated keratocytes and disrupted corneal stroma with expressed neovascularization and cellular infiltration. Treatment with either PRP, ADSCs and MSCs-EX showed different degrees of improvement, in the form of regeneration of corneal epithelium, endothelium and corneal stroma with disappearance of neovascularization and cellular infiltration.
Conclusion: PRP, ADSCs and MSCs-EX treatment significantly ameliorated corneal degenerative changes induced by alkali burn by their anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anti-apoptotic properties; with a more pronounced improvement in response to MSCs-EX..