Comparison of the protective effects of prostaglandin analogues in the ischemia and reperfusion model of rabbit eyes.

This study was planned to investigate the neuroprotective potentials of three commercially available prostaglandin analogues (PGA), in the ischemia and reperfusion model (I/R). Thirty New Zealand rabbits were divided into 5 groups and except for the control group (non-ischemic, non-treated), 0.9% NaCl, bimatoprost, latanoprost, or travoprost were applied to both eyes of animals of the respective groups for 1 week. At the end of treatment, ischemia was induced in both eyes of the 4 treatment groups by anterior chamber irrigation of the animals for 60 min. Following 24 h reperfusion, the animals were sacrificed. Enucleated eyes and retinal tissues were investigated by light microscopy, electron microscopy, immunohistochemicstry for retinal histopathology, intracellular and apoptotic cells and by retinal morphometry. Vitreous samples were biochemically investigated for probable role of reactive oxygen species, by measuring xanthine oxidase (XO) activity. Analysis of morphometric measurements and vitreous XO activity revealed significant differences between the PGA-treated groups and the NaCl-treated group (P<0.05). Similarly, apoptotic cell counts in different retinal layers showed that PGA-treated groups had fewer apoptotic cells in all retinal layers than the NaCl-treated ischemic group (P<0.05). PGA may have high protective potential for different retinal layers and cells. Biochemical analysis of vitreous showed that all PGAs decreased vitreous XO activity significantly compared to the NaCl-treated group (P<0.05). However we could not find any statistically significant differences among the analogues. PGAs may reduce the injury induced by I/R, through the inhibition of XO activity, and it seems that their effects are elicited through numerous pathways.