Inflammation and oxidative stress in corneal tissue in experimental keratitis due to <italic>Fusarium solani</italic>: Amelioration following topical therapy with voriconazole and epigallocatechin gallate.

Summary: Combined antifungal and antioxidant therapy may help to reduce oxidative stress in fungal keratitis. Experimental <italic>Fusarium solani</italic> keratitis was induced by application of <italic>F. solani</italic> conidia to scarified cornea (right eye) of 16 rabbits (another four rabbits were negative controls [Group I]). Five days later, <italic>F. solani</italic>‐infected animals began receiving hourly topical saline alone (Group II), voriconazole (10 mg/mL) alone (Group III), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, 10 mg/mL) alone (Group IV) or voriconazole and EGCG (Group V). Twenty days post‐inoculation, corneal lesions were graded. After animal sacrifice, excised corneas underwent histopathological and microbiological investigations. Corneal tissue levels/activities of interleukin 1 beta (IL‐1β) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) gene mRNA transcripts, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 and 9 proteins, malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), were also measured. Clinical and histopathological scores (severity of corneal lesions; [<italic>P</italic> < .05]) and mean levels (<italic>P</italic> < .05) of IL‐1β and TNF‐α mRNA transcripts, MMP 2, MMP 9 and MDA were Group II > Groups IV and III > Groups V and I. Mean SOD, CAT, GPx and GSH levels (<italic>P</italic> < .05) were Group II < Groups IV and III < Groups V and I. Topical voriconazole with EGCG apparently reduces inflammation in experimental <italic>F. solani</italic> keratitis, as manifested by improved clinical, histological, microbiological and molecular parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]