AIM: Intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody (bevacizumab, Avastin) has become one of the chief choices for the treatment of macular oedema and neovascular age-related macular degeneration. However, the effect of blocking the VEGF function has not been thoroughly explored in vivo. A previous study has reported that intravitreal injection of bevacizumab had no retinal toxicity on rats; however, bevacizumab is human-specific and does not react with rat VEGF. In this study, the authors examined the effect of anti-rat VEGF antibody and bevacizumab on rat retina in vivo and in vitro, especially focusing on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). METHODS: In vitro, rat RGCs were purified by a two-step immunopanning procedure, and incubated in the presence of VEGF, bevacizumab, anti-rat VEGF antibody, and control-IgG for three days. The number of viable RGCs was counted. In vivo, after intravitreal injections of bevacizumab, anti-rat VEGF antibody, and control-IgG, viable RGCs were visualised by retrolabelling with Fluo-gold and enumerated to examine the toxicity. RESULTS: In vivo, the mean (standard deviation) number of viable RGCs in the VEGF-treated group (0.99 (0.29) vs control), the bevacizumab-treated group (1.0 (0.23) vs control), the anti-rat VEGF antibody-treated group (0.98 (0.18) vs control) and the control IgG-treated group (0.98 (0.19) vs control) was not statistically different from that of the control group after 3 days. In vitro, the mean (SD) number of viable RGCs in the bevacizumab-treated group (2613 (230)/mm(2)), the anti-rat VEGF antibody-treated group (2600 (140)/mm(2)) and the control IgG-treated group (2656 (150)/mm(2)) was not statistically different from that of the control group (2656 (150)/mm(2)) after 7 days. There were no apparent histological abnormalities. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that bevacizumab and anti-rat VEGF antibody have no short-term, direct retinal toxicity using the rat model. Intravitreal injection of bevacizumab shows no short-term, direct toxicity on RGCs.
AIM: Intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody (bevacizumab, Avastin) has become one of the chief choices for the treatment of macular oedema and neovascular age-related macular degeneration. However, the effect of blocking the VEGF function has not been thoroughly explored in vivo. A previous study has reported that intravitreal injection of bevacizumab had no retinal toxicity on rats; however, bevacizumab is human-specific and does not react with ratVEGF. In this study, the authors examined the effect of anti-ratVEGF antibody and bevacizumab on rat retina in vivo and in vitro, especially focusing on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). METHODS: In vitro, rat RGCs were purified by a two-step immunopanning procedure, and incubated in the presence of VEGF, bevacizumab, anti-ratVEGF antibody, and control-IgG for three days. The number of viable RGCs was counted. In vivo, after intravitreal injections of bevacizumab, anti-ratVEGF antibody, and control-IgG, viable RGCs were visualised by retrolabelling with Fluo-gold and enumerated to examine the toxicity. RESULTS: In vivo, the mean (standard deviation) number of viable RGCs in the VEGF-treated group (0.99 (0.29) vs control), the bevacizumab-treated group (1.0 (0.23) vs control), the anti-ratVEGF antibody-treated group (0.98 (0.18) vs control) and the control IgG-treated group (0.98 (0.19) vs control) was not statistically different from that of the control group after 3 days. In vitro, the mean (SD) number of viable RGCs in the bevacizumab-treated group (2613 (230)/mm(2)), the anti-ratVEGF antibody-treated group (2600 (140)/mm(2)) and the control IgG-treated group (2656 (150)/mm(2)) was not statistically different from that of the control group (2656 (150)/mm(2)) after 7 days. There were no apparent histological abnormalities. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that bevacizumab and anti-ratVEGF antibody have no short-term, direct retinal toxicity using the rat model. Intravitreal injection of bevacizumab shows no short-term, direct toxicity on RGCs.
Authors: M S Spitzer; B Wallenfels-Thilo; A Sierra; E Yoeruek; S Peters; S Henke-Fahle; K U Bartz-Schmidt; P Szurman Journal: Br J Ophthalmol Date: 2006-05-24 Impact factor: 4.638
Authors: Ryan M Rich; Philip J Rosenfeld; Carmen A Puliafito; Sander R Dubovy; Janet L Davis; Harry W Flynn; Serafin Gonzalez; William J Feuer; Richard C Lin; Geeta A Lalwani; Jackie K Nguyen; Gaurav Kumar Journal: Retina Date: 2006 May-Jun Impact factor: 4.256
Authors: Ulkan Kilic; Ertugrul Kilic; Anne Järve; Zeyun Guo; Annett Spudich; Katja Bieber; Uxue Barzena; Claudio L Bassetti; Hugo H Marti; Dirk M Hermann Journal: J Neurosci Date: 2006-11-29 Impact factor: 6.167
Authors: Pradeepa Yoganathan; Vincent A Deramo; James C Lai; Rajen K Tibrewala; David M Fastenberg Journal: Retina Date: 2006 Nov-Dec Impact factor: 4.256
Authors: Shinji Ueno; Mary Ellen Pease; Delphine M Bonnet Wersinger; Tomohiro Masuda; Stanley A Vinores; Tamar Licht; Donald J Zack; Harry Quigley; Eli Keshet; Peter A Campochiaro Journal: J Cell Physiol Date: 2008-10 Impact factor: 6.384