Effects of Regular/Dilute Proparacaine Anesthetic Eye Drops in Combination with Ophthalmic Antibiotics on Corneal Wound Healing.

Topical, local anesthetic eye drops in conjunction with antibiotics are commonly used to reduce ocular pain and treat patients in emergency clinics; however, their effects on corneal healing are poorly understood. This study examined whether regular or diluted proparacaine eye drops given in combination with common ophthalmic antibiotics affect corneal wound healing parameters using and models. Primary human corneal fibroblasts generated from donor corneas and New Zealand white rabbits were used. Regular (0.5%) and diluted (0.05%) proparacaine eye drops, twice daily for 3 days, were applied to cultures and rabbit eyes, with or without ophthalmic antibiotics (polymyxin B sulfate and trimethoprim). Trypan blue, 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), and scratch wound assays measured cellular viability, proliferation, and migration, respectively, Slit lamp biomicroscopy, tonometry, fluorescein eye test, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) immunofluorescence were used for studies. Both regular and diluted proparacaine affected wound healing response in the cornea and in a time-dependent manner. Adjunct antibiotic treatments had additive effects characterized by reduced corneal fibroblast viability, proliferation, and migration and corneal epithelial recovery . Regular proparacaine with antibiotics showed most pronounced effects on corneal wound healing parameters, and diluted proparacaine without antibiotics had minimal negative effects and . Both methods of regular (0.5%) and diluted (0.05%) proparacaine topical application to the cornea are safe, but impede corneal wound healing and . Adjunct antibiotic treatments had additive negative effects on corneal wound repair.