Effects of three blood derived products on equine corneal cells, an in vitro study.

This research investigates the effects of blood derived products, like platelet rich plasma (PRP) and plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF), on horse corneal cells. Initial studies conclude that PRP has promising benefits for cell growth and movement.

Overview

• This study aims to understand the in vitro effects of plasma rich growth factors (PRGF) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on horse corneal cells, in comparison with serum. The reason for this investigation is that, despite major advances, many horses suffering from corneal ulcerative diseases don’t respond well to treatment and require surgery. Topical application of serum has been a common treatment due to its anti-collagenolytic properties and presence of factors that stimulate corneal wound healing. Yet, there’s little research on equine ophthalmology on the effects of blood derived products like PRP and PRGF.
• PRGF and PRP have been used extensively in equine orthopedics and human ophthalmology. PRGF is a concentration of various growth factors that induce cellular regeneration, whereas PRP is rich in platelets, which release healing proteins when they encounter damaged tissue.

Methodology

• A prospective controlled cohort study was undertaken for this research. Blood from 35 healthy horses was collected to produce serum, PRGF, and PRP.
• Limbal and stromal cells, two crucial types of cells in the cornea, were extracted from the healthy corneas of six horses and treated with these blood products. Proliferation rates and migration ability were then observed in the treated cells.

Findings

• The findings suggest that PRP treatment significantly improved cell proliferation and migration compared to PRGF treatment. In comparison, the cells treated with serum showed a decrease in proliferation over a 48-hour period.
• The research also found that intact white blood cells, specifically eosinophils, were only present in the PRP preparation. Eosinophils play a critical role in fighting parasitic infections, which are common in horses.

Conclusions

• The study couldn’t employ autologous blood products (those derived from the horse itself) due to the experimental design. As a result, it doesn’t completely replicate a real-world scenario where a patient’s own blood products would be used in treatment.
• However, the in vitro results suggest a significantly beneficial effect of PRP on the proliferation and migration ability of equine corneal cells. The researchers recommend further in vivo studies to determine further potential benefits of PRP for horses with corneal ulcers.