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Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background/aim: The therapeutic effects of hydrolyzed silk fibroin derived from Bombyx hatayensis and a commercially available ozonized gel, administered individually and in combination, were evaluated in a rat model of corneal alkali burn.

Materials and methods: A standardized corneal alkali burn was induced in the right eyes of Wistar albino rats using 1 N sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Animals were randomly assigned to six groups: negative control, positive control (PC), hydrolyzed silk fibroin (SF), ozonized gel (O), combined treatment (SF + O), and antibiotic treatment. Topical treatments were administered for 21 consecutive days. Clinical evaluation included assessments of corneal opacity, neovascularization, and epithelial healing. On day 21, corneal tissues were harvested for biochemical analysis of TGF-β, VEGF, and TNF-α levels, as well as for histopathological assessment.

Results: Significantly elevated levels of TGF-β, VEGF, and TNF-α were observed in untreated alkali-burned corneas compared with controls (p < 0.001). All treatment groups demonstrated significant reductions in these mediators compared with the PC group (p < 0.001). The SF and O groups showed comparable effects, whereas the SF + O group exhibited the lowest mean VEGF and TNF-α levels among the treatment groups, with no statistically significant difference compared with the antibiotic group (p > 0.05). Histopathological findings were consistent with the biochemical results, demonstrating improved epithelial integrity, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, and more organized stromal architecture, particularly in the SF + O group.

Conclusion: Hydrolyzed silk fibroin derived from Bombyx hatayensis, particularly when combined with ozonized gel, effectively attenuated inflammatory and angiogenic responses following corneal alkali injury. Outcomes comparable to those of conventional topical management were achieved with the combined therapy, with no statistically significant differences in biochemical and structural parameters, supporting its potential as a biocompatible, cell-free adjunctive strategy for severe chemical corneal burns.

Author ORCID Identifier

ŞULE BARMAN KAKİL: 0000-0002-5750-6825

HAMDULLAH BAYRAKTAR: 0000-0003-3400-9292

OKAN SOYLU: 0009-0002-5315-150X

İSHAK GÖKÇEK: 0000-0002-0590-6405

MERYEM KARAGÜL: 0000-0002-1990-2640

ZEHRA DEMİRAY ASOĞLU: 0000-0003-3152-3069

DOI

10.55730/1300-0144.6372

Keywords

Chemical corneal injury, Bombyx hatayensis, VEGF, neovascularization, biomaterials

First Page

1274

Last Page

1286

Publisher

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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