Dexamethasone acetate loaded poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibers for the treatment of rat corneal chemical burn

Abstract

Abstract Nanofibers serve to overcome the limitation of the short duration of action of topical eye drops used against ocular inflammation in dry eyes. Several attempts to develop suitable nanofibers have been made; however, there is no ideal solution. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers with encapsulated dexamethasone on alkali-injured cornea in rats. Thirty-nine Sprague Dawley (SD) rats (7 weeks old males) were divided into four treatment groups after alkaline burns of the cornea; negative control (no treatment group); dexamethasone eyedrops (DEX group); PCL fiber (PCL group); dexamethasone loaded PCL (PCL/DEX group). Corneal neovascularization was lower in the group treated with PCL + DEX than in that treated with DEX eyedrops, while PCL alone did not cause corneal neovascularization by irritation or inflammation. Histological analysis revealed lower infiltration of stromal inflammatory cells in corneas treated with PCL + DEX than in those treated with DEX eyedrops. Proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, MK2, TGFβ1, TGFβ2, and VEGF-A showed lower expression in corneas treated with PCL + DEX than in those treated with DEX eyedrops. Based on the results, PCL + DEX may be a promising approach to effective drug delivery in corneal burn injuries. In particular, anti-inflammatory function of DEX observed in the acute phase of ocular inflammation appears to be significantly improved on the first day in the PCL + DEX group.