The Effect of Sodium Hyaluronate on the Migration of Rabbit Corneal Epithelium. I. An In Vitro Study

ABSTRACT

The effect of sodium hyaluronate (Na-HA) on the migration of corneal epithelium was investigated in vitro using corneo-scleral sections of rabbits. The effect on migration was evaluated by the length of migrating epithelium on the cut surface of corneal stroma after incubation in media containing Na-HA of various molecular weights or concentrations. The medium concentration of Na-HA was 400 μg/ml, and the molecular weights were 0.4 × 10⁴, 2 × 10⁴, 10 × 10⁴, 68 × 10⁴, 102 × 10⁴ and 216 × 10⁴. Regarding Na-HA with a molecular weight of 102 × 10⁴; media containing Na-HA at concentrations of 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 2000 and 4000 μ g/ml were also investigated.

When the concentration of Na-HA was 400 μ g/ml, Na-HA with molecular weights of over 68 × 10⁴ accelerated significantly the epithelial migration. Regarding Na-HA with a molecular weight of 102 × 10⁴, acceleration was observed at concentrations of 200, 400 and 800 μ g/ml.

Furthermore, the concentration of fibronectin (FN) in medium containing the effective Na-HA was significantly lower than that in the control medium after the incubation. These results suggest a possibility that the accelerative effect of Na-HA depends on the reduction of FN release from the cornea or the facilitation of FN deposition on the cornea.