Objective To observe the distribution and concentration of 125I-nerve growth factor (NGF) in rabbitsprime; eyes after intravitreal injection and posterior juxtascleral injection.Methods Intravitreal injection(group A) and posterior juxtascleral injection (group B) were performed with the dosage of 30mu;g/100mu;l 125I-NGF on left and right eyes in 45 white rabbits respectively. The gamma;-counts and the concentration of 125I-NGF (％ID/g) of each ocular tissue was determined 15 and 30 minutes, and 1,3,6,12,24,and 48 hours after injection. Results The 125I-NGF diffusion in group A was faster in ocular content and ocular inner wall. The vitreous content of 125I-NGF decreased gradually in group A, the curve changes in other eye tissues were normal. The concentration of 125I-NGF reached the peak 3 hours after injection in aqueous humor, iris and ciliary body, retina, and choroids, but 6 hours after injection in sclera and 8 hours in cornea. The changes of concentration of 125I-NGF in group B showed normal curve change. The peak time in group B were all 6 hours in all the tissues except aqueous humor (3 hours). Except the high concentration in vitreous body caused by intravitreal injection, the concentration of 125I-NGF in retina was the highest in group A. Conclusion Intravitreal injection of 125I-NGF can gain higher concentration in each ocular tissue than posterior juxtascleral injection, especially in retina. So intravitreal injection of NGF is a better ocular delivery method to treat the ocular fundus diseases.
Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of dexamethasone intravitreal implant 0.7 mg (DEX) for treatment of macular edema associated with retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Methods This study was a six-month, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled, multicenter, phase 3 clinical trial with a 2-month open-label study extension. Patients with branch or central RVO received DEX (n=129) or sham procedure (n=130) in the study eye at baseline; all patients who met re-treatment criteria received DEX at month 6. Efficacy measures included Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and central retinal thickness (CRT) on optical coherence tomography. Results Time to ≥15-letter BCVA improvement from baseline during the first 6 months (primary endpoint) was earlier with DEX than sham (P＜0.001). At month 2 (peak effect), the percentage of patients with ≥15-letter BCVA improvement from baseline was DEX: 34.9%, sham: 11.5%; mean BCVA change from baseline was DEX: 10.6±10.4 letters, sham: 1.7±12.3 letters; and mean CRT change from baseline was DEX: −407±212 μm, sham: −62±224 μm (all P＜0.001). Outcomes were better with DEX than sham in both branch and central RVO. The most common treatment-emergent adverse event was in-creased intraocular pressure (IOP). Increase sin IOP generally were controlled with topical medication. Mean IOP normalized by month 4, and no patient required incisional glaucoma surgery. Conclusions DEX had a favorable safety profile and provided clinically significant benefit in a Chinese patient population with RVO. Visual and anatomic outcomes were improved with DEX relative to sham for 3 - 4 months after a single implant.