Background: Corneal injury commonly caused by chemical agents. Alkali agents
affect corneal clarity and impaired visions with defective treatments. Bone
marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are multipotent self-renewal cells
which give challenge for many diseases.
The aim of the work: Is to study the role of BM-MSCs as therapeutic modality on
alkali-induced corneal injury in rats.
Material and methods: Thirty adult male albino rats had been divided into three
equal groups: 1-Group I as a control. 2- Group II (bilateral alkali-burnt corneas) and
received 200 mg/kg cyclophosphamide to induce bone marrow-suppression also,
divided into: subgroup IIa, bone marrow suppressed without MSCs treatment;
subgroup IIb, bone marrow suppressed with MSCs treatment. 3- Group III
(bilateral alkali-burnt corneas) as normal bone marrow function and divided into:
subgroup IIIa, normal bone marrow function, without MSCs treatment; subgroup
IIIb, normal bone marrow function, with autologous MSCs treatment.
Results: Corneas of alkali burn rats with CP without MSCs treatment
revealed degeneration with loss of the superficial epithelial cells and corneal
neovascularization with stromal separation, interstitial hemorrhage and cellular
infiltration. While in sub group IIIa, produced moderate changes compared with
subgroup IIa. In corneas of alkali burn rats treated with MSCs and received CP
produced slight improvement, while those treated with MCSs without CP for 2
weeks after alkali burn showed nearly normal histological and ultrastructural
pictures.
Conclusion: MSC transplantation could ameliorate corneal healing in rats in alkaliinduced
the corneal ulcer.