Effect of Oftocord gel vs Actovegin on regenerative processes following mechanical trauma to the rabbit cornea
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31288/oftalmolzh201744450Keywords:
corneal regeneration, apoptosis, collagen I and III, low-molecular weight (below 5 kDa) fraction of human cord blood, Oftocord eye gelAbstract
Background: Mechanical damage to the cornea is followed by reduced collagen synthesis and imbalance in collagen ratio in the defect area, and by initiation of apoptosis in connective tissue cells, which may result in the transformation of granulation tissue into fibrous tissue. To prevent these alterations, corneal healing processes should be regulated with medications aimed at restoring corneal structure.
Purpose: To compare the effect of Oftocord eye gel and Actovegin gel on changes in collagen I and collagen III synthesis and on apoptosis process in the rabbit cornea following mechanical corneal trauma.
Materials and Methods: Thirty six Chinchilla rabbits were subjected to a standardized mechanical corneal damage. Thereafter, their corneal defect sites received one of the following treatments for 21 days: placebo gel with no active ingredient (Group 1), Oftocord gel containing a low-molecular weight fraction of human cord blood (HCBF) (Group 2), and Actovegin gel (Group 3). Enucleation for histological and histochemical studies was performed immediately after euthanasia at days 3, 7, 14 and 21. The composition of HCBF was studied and compared with that of Actovegin.
Results: Oftocord gel applied to the site of corneal damage prevented the development of apoptosis and improved imbalance in the ratio of newly synthesized collagen I and III in the corneal defect area. The composition of HCBF versus Actovegin was studied to elucidate the mechanism of the effect of Oftocord gel on the metabolism of connective tissue. HCBF and Actovegin substantially differed from each other in composition both qualitatively and quantitatively, with the greatest differences observed in the content of glucuronic acid and of the glycoproteins exhibiting a dominating effect on the metabolism of the connective tissue.
Conclusion: Applying Oftocord gel to the site of corneal damage promoted collagen I and III synthesis normalization, and reduction in the percentage of apoptotic cells in the cornea throughout the study. HCBF and Actovegin substantially differed from each other in composition both qualitatively and quantitatively.
References
Petrov SIu, Safonova DM. [Current concept of excessive scarring in glaucoma surgery]. Oftalmologiya. 2015; 4: 9-17. Russian
Gulevskyi OK, Diomin IuA, Seidaliieva ZA, et al. [Oftocord, an agent for treating corneal defects after mechanical damage]. Patent UA, N 91142; 2014. Ukrainian
Gulevskyi OK, Moiseeva NM, Abakumova OS, et al. [Method for preparing a low-molecular fraction from cattle cord blood]. Patent UA, N 69652; 2012. Ukrainian
Gulevsky AK, Moiseyeva NN, Gorina OL. Influence of low-molecular (below 5 kDa) fraction from cord blood and actovegin on phagocytic activity of frozen-thawed neutrophils. CryoLetters. 2011; 2: 131-40 https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/214124
Khalimov AR, Babushkin AE. [Means for diagnosing corneal trauma and disorders]. Vestnik OGU. 2009; 12: 151-2. Russian
Pearse AG. Histochemistry. Theoretical and applied. London: Churchill; 1960
Brozman M. Immunohistochemical analysis of formalaldehyde- and trypsin- or pepsin-treated material. Acta Histochem. 1978; 63: 251-60 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-1281(78)80032-4
Hubina-Vakulyk HI, Sorokina IV, Markovskyi VD, et al. [Method for quantitative determination of the content of antigen in biological tissues]. Patent UA, N 46489; 2009. Ukrainian
Levchenko VI, Novozhytska IuM, Sakhniuk VV, et al. [Methods for biochemical studies of animal blood: Methodical Guidelines for doctors of chemical and toxicological departments of state veterinary medicine laboratories, attendees of refresher courses and veterinary students]. Kyiv; 2004. Ukrainian
Kolb VH, Кamyshnikov VS. A handbook of clinical chemistry. Minsk: Belarus; 1982. Russian
Karpischenko AI, editor. [Medical laboratory technology. Manual of Clinical Laboratory Practices]. Vol. 2. Moscow: GEOTAR-Media; 2013. Russian
Leontieva FS, Filipenko VA, Tymoshenko OP, et al. [Method for determination of fractions of sulfated hexosaminoglycanes]. Patent UA, N 29198; 2008. Ukrainian
Belous АМ, Mokhamed АN, Yavorskaya VA, Semenchenko AYu. Levels of middle molecule peptides in the plasma of patients with different cerebral circulation disorders. Dopovidi NAN Ukrainy. 1997; 8: 177-181. Russian
Lapach SN, Chubenko AV, Babich PN. [Excel statistical methods in medical and biological research]. Kiev: Morion; 2001. Russian
Dyomin IuA, Gulevsky AK, Seydaliyeva ZA,Volina VV, Moiseyeva NN. [Influence of a low-molecular fraction (below 5 kDa) from cord blood as an eye gel component on cornea regeneration after mechanical damage]. World of Medicine and Biology. 2013; 3: 7-11. Russian
Kang HK, Michaels MA, Berner BR, Datta SK. Very low-dose tolerance with nucleosomal peptides controls lupus and induces potent regulatory T cell subsets. J. Immunol. 2005; 174: 3247-55 https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.174.6.3247
Severin SE, editor. [Biochemistry: textbook for medical students]. 5th ed. Moscow: GEOTAR-Media; 2008. Russian
Alam S, Kelleher SL. Cellular mechanisms of zinc dysregulation: a perspective on zinc homeostasis as an etiological factor in the development and progression of breast cancer. Nutrients. 2012; 4:875-903 https://doi.org/10.3390/nu4080875
Berndt T, Kumar R. Novel mechanisms in the regulation of phosphorus homeostasis. Physiology (Bethesda). 2009; 24:17-25 https://doi.org/10.1152/physiol.00034.2008
Castiglioni S, Maier JAM. Magnesium and cancer: a dangerous liason. Magnes. Res. 2011; 24: s92-s100 https://doi.org/10.1684/mrh.2011.0285
Anisimov SI, Anisimova SYu, Larionov EV, et al. [Experimental and clinical research of collagen drainage for glaucoma surgery]. Klinicheskaia oftalmologiia. 2006; 2: 73-6. Russian
Zorin NA, Zorina VN, Zorina RM. [Role of alpha-2-macroglobulin in cancers]. Voprosy Onkologii. 2004;5:515-9
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Н. Н. Моисеева, А. К. Гулевский, О. Л. Горина, З. А. Сейдалиева

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) that allows users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author as long as they cite the source.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors hold copyright immediately after publication of their works and retain publishing rights without any restrictions.
- The copyright commencement date complies the publication date of the issue, where the article is included in.
DEPOSIT POLICY
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) during the editorial process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Post-print (post-refereeing manuscript version) and publisher's PDF-version self-archiving is allowed.
- Archiving the pre-print (pre-refereeing manuscript version) not allowed.








