Figure 7.
Neutrophils and VEGF-A in corneal nerve regeneration. A: Density of corneal subbasal nerves was analyzed at 24 hours after central epithelial abrasion in wild-type mice receiving i.p. control nonbinding antibody (Control Ab), anti-GP1bα (ie, to induce platelet depletion), or anti-Ly6G (ie, to induce neutrophil depletion) before corneal wounding (n = 4). B: Density of corneal subbasal nerves was analyzed at 96 hours after central epithelial abrasion in wild-type mice receiving i.p. control antibody, anti-VEGF-A, or anti-Ly6G before central epithelial abrasion. C: Basal epithelial cell density at 96 hours after central epithelial abrasion in mice receiving i.p. control antibody (gray bar) or anti-VEGF-A (black bar, n = 4, *P < 0.01) before epithelial abrasion. D: Neutrophils per field of view in parawound corneal stroma at 12 hours after central epithelial abrasion in mice receiving i.p. the control antibody (gray bar) or anti-VEGF-A (black bar, n = 6, *P < 0.01). E: Topical application of anti-VEGF-A or control IgG every 4 hours for 24 hours after corneal epithelial abrasion in wild-type mice plotting subbasal nerve density in fields of the cornea from paralimbus to center at 24 hours after wounding (curves significantly different, P < 0.01, n = 4). F: Topical application of anti-VEGF-A or control IgG every 4 hours for 12 hours after corneal epithelial abrasion in wild-type mice plotting neutrophils in four randomly selected fields of view within the original wound margin (ie, field 3, schema in Figure 2B); or topical application of anti-IL-17 or control IgG to a second set of mice using the same protocol (n = 6, *P < 0.01).