Gelatin-based membrane containing usnic acid-loaded liposomes: A new treatment strategy for corneal healing

Flavia Rodrigues da Silva; Rummenigge Oliveira Silva; Hortência Maciel de Castro Oliveira; Lays Fernanda Nunes Dourado; Bruna Lopes da Costa; Bruno Santos Lima; Nayara Gomes Lima Santos; Carlos Eduardo Palanch Repeke; Gustavo Batista Menezes; Adriano Antunes de Souza Araújo; Armando da Silva-Cunha; Paula Santos Nunes

doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110391

Gelatin-based membrane containing usnic acid-loaded liposomes: A new treatment strategy for corneal healing

Biomed Pharmacother. 2020 Oct:130:110391. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110391. Epub 2020 Jul 13.

Affiliations

¹ Programa de Pós graduação em Ciências Aplicadas à Saúde, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, SE, 49400-000, Brazil; Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
² Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
³ Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, MG, 31.270-010, Brazil.
⁴ Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, SE, 49100-100, Brazil.
⁵ Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, SE, 49060-100, Brazil. Electronic address: nayaraa_gomes@hotmail.com.
⁶ Programa de Pós graduação em Ciências Aplicadas à Saúde, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, SE, 49400-000, Brazil.
⁷ Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, SE, 49100-100, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, SE, 49060-100, Brazil.
⁸ Programa de Pós graduação em Ciências Aplicadas à Saúde, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, SE, 49400-000, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, SE, 49060-100, Brazil.

PMID: 32674015
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110391

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and potential healing efficacy of the topical ocular administration of a gelatin membrane containing usnic acid/liposomes (UALs) for corneal cicatrization. UALs have shown healing activity in animal models of dermal burn lesions. We evaluated the safety of topical ocular administration of UAL and its potential healing efficacy as an ophthalmic treatment on chemical lesions in rabbit eyes.

Method: The Draize test was used to check for ocular toxicity and the score was zero at each observation, indicating the ocular safety of a gelatin membrane containing usnic acid/liposome. Its potential healing efficacy as an ophthalmic treatment on chemical lesions in rabbit eyes was also assessed.

Results: After epithelial removal and treatment with UAL, there was a 49.4 % reduction in injury under in vivo conditions compared with a 36.6 % reduction in the control, a gelatin membrane containing liposome without usnic acid. Histological analysis of ocular surface chemical injury-tissue sections after treatment with UAL supported these observations. The corneal expression of VEGF and TGF-β1increased by 70 % and 50 % respectively following treatment with UAL gelatin membrane.

Conclusion: These results indicate the potential therapeutic application of UAL gelatin membranes as an ophthalmic treatment that may be used for corneal cicatrization.

Keywords: Eye burn; Healing; Usnic acid.

MeSH terms

Administration, Ophthalmic
Animals
Benzofurans / administration & dosage*
Benzofurans / chemistry
Chickens
Cicatrix / drug therapy*
Cornea / blood supply
Cornea / drug effects*
Drug Delivery Systems*
Female
Gelatin / administration & dosage
Gelatin / chemistry
Liposomes / administration & dosage
Liposomes / chemistry
Neovascularization, Physiologic / drug effects
Ophthalmic Solutions / chemistry
Wound Healing / drug effects*

Substances

Benzofurans
Liposomes
Ophthalmic Solutions
usnic acid
Gelatin