The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Experimental Pharmacology and Drug Discovery
Volume 16 - 2025 |
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1548213
Corneal protective effects of a new ophthalmic formulation based on vitamin B12 and sodium hyaluronate
Provisionally accepted- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Corneal damage can happen due to a variety of insults, including environmental factors and iatrogenic issues. For instance, the corneal epithelium is sensitive to oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) or by ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. Moreover, the strictly correlated oxidative damage and inflammatory processes impair the corneal reparative wound healing mechanism. Corneal protection after damage remains an unmet medical need that requires urgent management. Sodium hyaluronate is known to protect the cornea against oxidative and inflammatory injury. Additionally, vitamin B12 is a good candidate for counteracting corneal damage, helping preserve visual functions.The present study aimed to investigate the potential protective effect of an ophthalmic formulation based on 0.01 % vitamin B12 and 0.15 % sodium hyaluronate (DROPYAL EVO) compared to other ophthalmic formulations containing sodium hyaluronate and trehalose (TRIMIX and THEALOZ DUO). Two different in vitro models of corneal damage were carried out in corneal epithelial cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 1 mM) or UVB (20 mJ/cm 2 ). Cell viability, cytotoxicity, ROS production, and mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) were assessed by MTT, LDH, 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) assays and Real-time PCR, respectively. Additionally, the ability of ophthalmic formulations to affect the wound healing process in corneal epithelial cells was assessed at different time points by scratch wound healing assay.The eye drops containing vitamin B12 were able to significantly counteract oxidative and inflammatory damage in corneal epithelial cells exposed to H2O2 stimulus and UVB radiation, in terms of ROS production and pro-inflammatory cytokines expression. Additionally, the eye drops containing vitamin B12 obtained significantly better outcomes in terms of wound closure at 36 h and 48 h after scratching the corneal epithelial cells, compared to the other two formulations containing trehalose.Discussion: Vitamin B12 potentially enhances the protective effect of sodium hyaluronate, accelerating the wound healing process and modulating oxidative stress and inflammation. Vitamin B12, in combination with sodium hyaluronate, could represent a promising approach to managing corneal epithelial damage. Further clinical investigations are needed to confirm this data.
Keywords: Cornea, Dry eye disease, Vitamin B12, Sodium hyaluronate, Trehalose
Received: 19 Dec 2024; Accepted: 13 Jan 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Lazzara, Conti, Maugeri, D'Agata, Sotera and Bucolo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Claudio Bucolo, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, 95125, Italy
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.