AIM:Tocomparetheeffectoftopicallyadministeredandsubconjunctivallyinjectedbevacizumabonexperimentalcornealneovascularizationinratsfortwoweeksaftertreatment.METHODS:Twenty-eightSprague-Dawleyratswerepidedintofourgroupsof7animals.Eachcornealcenterofrighteyewascauterizedwithsilver/potassiumnitratefor8s.Aftercornealburning,bevacizumab(12.5mg/mL)wastopicallyadministeredthreetimesperday(TBgroup)fortwoweeksorsubconjunctivallyinjectedondays2and4aftercauterization(0.02mL;SBgroup).Asnegativecontrols,ratsreceived0.9%salinetopicallythreetimesperday(TSgroup)orsubconjunctivallyondays2and4(0.02mL;SSgroup).Digitalphotographsofthecorneaweretaken1and2weeksaftertreatmentandanalyzedtodeterminetheareaofcorneacoveredbyneovascularizationasthepercentageofcornealneovascularization.RESULTS:Oneweekaftertreatment,thepercentageofcornealneovascularizationwassignificantlylowerintheTBandSBgroupsthanintheTSandSSgroups(allP<0.05).Twoweeksaftertreatment,thepercentageofcornealneovascularizationwassignificantlylowerintheTBgroupthanintheTSgroup(P<0.05).Inallgroups,thepercentageofneovascularizationwasdecreasingastimepassed(allP<0.05)CONCLUSION:Topicallyadministeredbevacizumabhaslongerstandinganti-angiogeniceffectthansubconjunctivallyinjectedbevacizumabincornealneovascularizationfollowingchemicalinjuryinrats.
