Inhibition of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Induced Corneal Angiogenesis by a Farnesyl Transferase Inhibitor

ABSTRACT

Farnesyl transferase inhibitors(FTI) disrupt fanesylation of ras protein and thus, suppress tumor growth in vivo, To determine whether FTI extracted from Cinnamomum Cassia Blume(CB2`-ph) interferes with angiogenesis, we studied the effect of CB2`-ph on rabbit corneal angiogenesis induced by basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF). A hydrogel disk containing 1000ng of bFGF was implanted intrastromally in the superior cornea of 12 NZW rabbit eyes. All eyes received a second intrastromal disk, randomized to contain either 40 micro gram of CB2`-ph(n=6) or phosphate-buffered saline(PBS)(n=6). Both disks were positioned side-by-side, 1.2mm from the superior limbus. Each eye was examined daily by two masked of new blood vessels. At 3, 5, and 7 days postimplantation of bFGF disks, eyes treated with CB2`-ph showed mean angiogenesis score of 6.0 +/- 4.8, 25.6 +/- 23.9 and 38.1 +/- 28.3, respectively, while PBS-treated controls scored 10.4 +/- 9.2, 27.2 +/- 16.7, and 39.0 +/- 22.8, respectively(p>0.4, Wilcoxon signed rank test). In a rabbit corneal pocket assay, CB2`-ph appears to be ineffective against bFGF-induced corneal angiogenesis in the model.