Therapeutic effects of three human-derived materials in a mouse corneal alkali burn model* HanKyung Eun ParkMi Hye KongKyoung Hye ChoiEuno ChoiKyu-Ryong JunRoo Min 2019 <p><b>Purpose:</b> To compare the therapeutic effects of human derivatives in a mouse alkali burn model.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> The right eyes of mice were injured using NaOH. After alkali injury, one of the following agents was topically administered for 7 d: human amniotic membrane (hAM) suspension, human umbilical cord serum (hUCS), and human peripheral blood serum (hPBS), or saline. The epithelial defect areas on days 1, 2, and 3 degrees of opacity on days 2, 3, and 7, and corneal neovascularization (NV) areas on day 7 were evaluated. Histologic examination and mRNA expression levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-8, and MMP-9 were also evaluated on day 7.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> The epithelial defect areas in the hUCS group were smaller than those in the control and hPBS groups on day 3 (<i>p</i> < .05, respectively). The epithelial defect areas in the hAM suspension group showed smaller than those in the control and hPBS groups on days 1 and 2 (<i>p</i> < .05, respectively). The degrees of opacity were lower in all treatment groups than that of the saline control group on day 7 (<i>p</i> < .05, respectively). Corneal NV areas were not different among groups on day 7 (<i>p =</i> 0.20). The expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, MMP-8, and MMP-9 mRNA and the infiltration of the inflammatory cells in all treatment groups were lesser than those in the control group on day 7 (<i>p<</i> .05, respectively).</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> All treatments reduced inflammatory reactions and corneal opacity development. Corneal reepithelialization was faster in the hUCS group.</p>