Promotion of corneal epithelial wound healing in diabetic rats by the combination of a substance P-derived peptide (FGLM-NH2) and insulin-like growth factor-1

• Published in: Diabetologia Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 839 - 842
• Main Authors: NAKAMURA, M, KAWAHARA, M, MORISHIGE, N, CHIKAMA, T, NAKATA, K, NISHIDA, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01-06-2003; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Cornea; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - pathology; Epithelium, Corneal - injuries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hyaluronic acid; Insulin; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - pharmacology; Insulin-like growth factors; Laboratory animals; Male; Oligopeptides - pharmacology; Peptides; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reference Values; Wound healing; Wound Healing - drug effects; United States > US; Japan; insulin-like growth factor-1; wound healing; Diabetes; substance P-derived peptide; corneal epithelium
• ISSN: 0012-186X; 1432-0428
• DOI: 10.1007/s00125-003-1105-9

The healing of corneal epithelial wounds is often delayed in individuals with diabetes. The effect of the combination of a substance P-derived tetrapeptide (phenylalanine-glycine-leucine-methionine amide, or FGLM-NH(2)) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on corneal epithelial wound healing was investigated in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.
The corneal epithelium of diabetic and non-diabetic rats was removed, and the animals were treated by the application of eye drops containing FGLM-NH(2) and IGF-1, or vehicle alone as a control, six times a day for 3 days. The area of the corneal epithelial wound was measured at various times up to 72 h after removal of the corneal epithelium.
The rate of corneal epithelial wound healing was slower in diabetic rats treated with vehicle than in non-diabetic rats. However, the rate of wound closure in diabetic rats treated with FGLM-NH(2) and IGF-1 was markedly increased compared with that in diabetic rats treated with vehicle. The wound healing process seemed similar in normal rats and in diabetic rats treated with FGLM-NH(2) and IGF-1.
The combination of FGLM-NH(2) and IGF-1 promotes corneal epithelial wound healing in diabetic rats, suggesting that such a treatment might prove effective in humans with diabetic keratopathy.