Abstract
Purpose. The present study considered the hypothesis that spontaneous neovascularization of the cornea of nude mice results from a local imbalance between angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors. Methods. The presence of angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors was revealed by exchanging orthotopic corneal allografts between nude BALB/c mice and normal (hirsute) euthymic BALB/c mice and observing the presence, intensity, and degree of corneal neovascularization before and after grafting. Results. Avascular corneal grafts from normal BALB/c donors resisted neovascularization after grafting to spontaneously vascularized graft beds in nude mice. In contrast, spontaneously vascularized corneal grafts from nude mice remained vascularized over 2 mo after grafting to similar nude recipients. Although corneal grafts from nude donors stimulated neovascularization in normal BALB/c recipients, most of the vessels regressed by the 6th week post transplantation. Conclusions. The results confirm that there is an imbalance between angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors in the nude mouse cornea. The cornea of the nude mouse displays more angiogenic activity and less anti- angiogenic activity than that of the normal mouse. Most angiogenic activity of the nude mouse cornea appears to reside in the epithelium.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 222-230 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - 1993 |
Keywords
- angiogenic factors
- anti-angiogenic factors
- cornea
- neovascularization
- nude mice
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ophthalmology
- Sensory Systems
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience