Expression of Connective Tissue Growth Factor after Glaucoma Filtration Surgery in a Rabbit Model

• Published in: Investigative ophthalmology & visual science Vol. 45; no. 2; pp. 485 - 491
• Main Authors: Esson, Douglas W, Neelakantan, Arvind, Iyer, Sandhya A, Blalock, Timothy D, Balasubramanian, Lakshmi, Grotendorst, Gary R, Schultz, Gregory S, Sherwood, Mark B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rockville, MD ARVO 01.02.2004; Association for Research in Vision and Ophtalmology
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Conjunctiva - drug effects; Conjunctiva - metabolism; Conjunctiva - pathology; Connective Tissue Growth Factor; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Filtering Surgery; Glaucoma - metabolism; Glaucoma - surgery; Glaucoma and intraocular pressure; Immediate-Early Proteins - metabolism; Immediate-Early Proteins - pharmacology; Immunohistochemistry; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - pharmacology; Male; Medical sciences; Models, Animal; Ophthalmology; Rabbits; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the eye and orbit; Trabecular Meshwork - drug effects; Trabecular Meshwork - metabolism; Trabecular Meshwork - pathology; Transforming Growth Factor beta - metabolism; Transforming Growth Factor beta - pharmacology; Glaucoma; Protozoa; Filtration; Tissue factor; Rabbit; Lagomorpha; Connective tissue; Eye disease; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Treatment; Glaucoma (eye); Animal; Surgery; Ciliata; Models; Ophthalmology; Growth factor
• ISSN: 0146-0404; 1552-5783; 1552-5783
• DOI: 10.1167/iovs.03-0485

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) appears to play a significant role in mediating fibrosis in several tissues. To gain further understanding of the role of CTGF in the scar formation that occurs after glaucoma filtering surgery (GFS), experiments were performed in a rabbit model. . Three experiments were performed: (1) CTGF and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta expression were measured quantitatively after GFS, using ELISA. (2) After GFS conjunctival bleb tissues were immunostained for the presence of CTGF and TGF-beta. (3) Exogenous CTGF was injected into mitomycin-C (MMC)-treated filtering blebs and the scaring response compared to TGF-beta and physiological saline-injected blebs. CTGF and TGF-beta were expressed maximally by day 5 after surgery and were both shown to be present in the bleb tissues after GFS. The addition of exogenous CTGF and TGF-beta increased the rate of failure of GFS blebs. These data support the hypothesis that CTGF plays an important role in scarring and wound contracture after GFS. Inhibition of CTGF synthesis or its action may help prevent bleb failure and improve long-term GFS outcomes.