Use of Topical Human Amniotic Fluid in the Treatment of Acute Ocular Alkali Injuries in Mice

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of topical human amniotic fluid (HAF) in the treatment of ocular acute alkali burns in mice. Design: Experimental study. Methods: A chemical burn with 2 μl of sodium hydroxide 0.15 mol/l was created in one eye of 30 mice. The animals were divided into gender- and age-matched groups according to the topical treatment that was administered: group 1 was treated with preterm HAF (n = 10 mice); group 2 was treated with term HAF (n = 10 mice), and group 3 was treated with saline solution (n = 10 mice). Treatment consisted of one drop that was applied to the burned eye five times per day (week one), and three times per day (week two). The epithelial defect was photographed and measured on days two and four. Ocular burn damage was assessed at days two, seven, and 14 after a pre-established classification. On day 14, both eyes of each mouse were enucleated and assessed histopathologically. Results: Median epithelial defect (interquartile range [IQR], 25th, 75th percentile) at day four was 9.93% (IQR, 8.57, 11.27) for group 1, 7.30% (IQR, 5.96, 8.97) for group 2, and 18.92% (IQR, 11.71, 27.64) for group 3 (P < .0076). The overall change (difference in slope) in ocular burn score between days 2 and 14 was -0.127 (P = .009) in group 1 vs 3, -0.134 (P = .012) in group 2 vs 3, and 0.007 (P = .88) in group 1 vs 2. On histologic examination saline solution-treated corneas had more inflammatory cells and blood vessels than HAF-treated corneas. Conclusion: Topical preterm/term HAF was an effective topical therapy for limiting the damage after acute alkali burns of the eye in this animal model.