Effect of onion extract on corneal haze suppression after air assisted lamellar keratectomy

This study evaluated the effect of onion extract on corneal haze suppression after applying the air assisted lamellar keratectomy. The air assisted lamellar keratectomy was performed on 24 canine eyes. They were treated with an artificial tear (group C), prednisolone acetate (group P), onion extract (group O) and TGF-β1 (group T) three times per day from 7 to 28 days after the surgery. Corneal haze occurred on the all eyes and was observed beginning 7 days after the surgery. The haze was significantly decreased in groups P and O from day 14 compared with the group C using the clinical (group P; P=0.021, group O; P=0.037) and objective evaluation method (group P; P=0.021, group O; P=0.039). In contrast, it was significantly increased in group T from day 14 compared with group C based on the clinical (P=0.002) and objective evaluation method (P<0.001). Subsequently, these eyes were enucleated after euthanasia, and immunohistochemistry with α-SMA antibodies was done. The total green intensity for α-SMA was significantly more expressed in group T and significantly less expressed in groups P and O than in group C. Onion extract could have potential as a therapeutic in preventing corneal haze development by suppressing the differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts.