ABSTRACT
In order to analyze the potential role of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)on retinal wound after laser photocoagulation, we studied the expression of GFAP and the morphologic changes in the retina of pigmented rats. A multiline krypton laser was used to produce laser lesions. After irradiation, eyes were intravitreally injected with 1 microliter vehicle or 1 microgram of bFGF in l microliter of vehicle. And we examined the expression of GFAP at 1 day, 3 days, 7 days and 14 days after treatment.We also measured the size of defect in outer nuclear layer at 7 days after laser. The results were as follows : 1. GFAP immunoreactivity of M ü ller cell begins to appear within 24 hours in whole retina area.It sharply increases until 7 days and then decreases slowly. 2. bFGF stimulates the expression of GFAP and it is statistically significant(p<0.05) 3. BFGF prevents cell death of photoreceptor in the laser lesions(p<0.05 ) From these results, we concluded that bFGF stimulates Müller cell reactivity after laser phtocoagulation and prevents photoreceptor loss. These results may be important to understand the healing mechanism of laser phtocoagulation and to minimize the complications of laser phtocoagulation.