Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Studies had demonstrated that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) may play an important role in immunologic rejection after penetrating keratoplasty, but the interactions between hyperbaric oxygen, VEGF and TNF-α remains unclear．
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of hyperbaric oxygen on the expression of VEGF and TNF-α in the aqueous humour after penetrating keratoplasty, and to study the relationship between VEGF, TNF-α and cornea transplantation immunologic rejection.
METHODS: We used the chicken to rabbit model of penetrating heterograft. Sixteen healthy New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into two groups: control group and hyperbaric oxygen group. The rabbits in the hyperbaric oxygen group were treated with hyperbaric oxygen from the 1st day to the 6th day after operation, and the rabbits in the control group were not treated with hyperbaric oxygen. The level of VEGF and TNF-α were determined dynamically by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay on 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after surgery.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The TNF-α and VEGF expression could be seen in the aqueous humour of normal rabbits, and the levels were increased in early postoperative days, which had a significant difference statistically before and after surgery (P < 0.05). In the acute rejection period, at 14 days after transplantation, the quantity of TNF-α and VEGF reached their peak respectively, The content of TNF-α and VEGF in the hyperbaric oxygen group were obviously lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Hyperbaric oxygen can effectively reduce the level of VEGF and TNF-α and inhibit the immune response after keratoplasty.