Honey: A Natural Remedy for Eye Diseases.

Honey has been considered as a therapeutic agent; its successful application in the treatment of non-healing infected wounds has promoted its further clinical usage for treating various disorders including eye disorders. There is evidence that honey may be helpful in treating dry eye disease, post-operative corneal edema, and bullous keratopathy. Furthermore, it can be used as an antibacterial agent to reduce the ocular flora. This review discusses both the current knowledge of and new perspectives for honey therapy in ophthalmology.

One-year oral toxicity study on a genetically modified maize MON810 variety in Wistar Han RCC rats (EU 7th Framework Programme project GRACE).

The GRACE (GMO Risk Assessment and Communication of Evidence; www.grace-fp7.eu ) project was funded by the European Commission within the 7th Framework Programme. A key objective of GRACE was to conduct 90-day animal feeding trials, animal studies with an extended time frame as well as analytical, in vitro and in silico studies on genetically modified (GM) maize in order to comparatively evaluate their use in GM plant risk assessment. In the present study, the results of a 1-year feeding trial with a GM maize MON810 variety, its near-isogenic non-GM comparator and an additional conventional maize variety are presented. The feeding trials were performed by taking into account the guidance for such studies published by the EFSA Scientific Committee in 2011 and the OECD Test Guideline 452. The results obtained show that the MON810 maize at a level of up to 33 % in the diet did not induce adverse effects in male and female Wistar Han RCC rats after a chronic exposure.

Complementary treatment of contact lens-induced corneal ulcer using honey: a case report.

The aim of this study was to report the complementary use of honey for treatment of a contact lens-induced corneal ulcer. A 23-year-old contact lens user presented with a corneal ulcer in her left eye. She had visual acuity reduced to hand movement. There was a history of wearing contact lenses while swimming in a lake seven days before presentation. The cultures from corneal scrapings and contact lenses were positive for Klebsiella oxytoca, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Pseudomonas spp. The treatment with topical levofloxacin and 25% (w/v) γ-irradiated honeydew honey solution was effective and the patient achieved final best corrected visual acuity of affected eye. In addition to positive clinical outcome, honeydew honey was shown to be highly effective in vitro against ocular isolates, in particular S. maltophilia. The minimal inhibitory concentrations for honeydew honey ranged from 5% to 10%. These results demonstrate that honey is a promising antibacterial agent in management of corneal ulcers. Moreover, honey exhibits anti-biofilm and anti-inflammatory properties, and thus becomes an interesting ophthalmologic agent.

Honey prophylaxis reduces the risk of endophthalmitis during perioperative period of eye surgery.

Endophthalmitis following eye surgery remains a rare but serious complication. Topical fluoroquinolones have been used as prophylactic agents against endophthalmitis. However, the emerging resistance of ocular pathogens to fluoroquinolones may preclude their routine use. Honey, a natural antimicrobial product with wound healing properties, is a promising candidate for the prophylaxis of endophthalmitis. The goal of this study was to determine whether 25% (w/v) honey solution is effective in eradicating bacterial ocular pathogens in the perioperative period in patients scheduled for cataract surgery or vitrectomy, and to compare its efficacy to 0.3% ofloxacin. In this pilot study, 101 patients were randomized to honey (n = 49) or ofloxacin (n = 52) treatment. In both groups, eye drops were administered five times a day for 7 days before and 5 days after surgery. Before administration of the antibacterial agents, 18 and 25 isolates were detected in the ofloxacin and honey group, respectively. After 7 days of administration, four isolates (coagulase-negative Staphylococcus) were detected in each therapeutic group. No significant difference in antibacterial effect was found between groups. These results indicate that honey may act as a prophylactic agent of endophthalmitis; however, further studies are needed to characterize its ocular penetration properties.

Experience with preventive genetic testing of corneal donors in slovakia.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was (1) to detect asymptomatic carriers of the prion protein gene mutation E200K, which is associated with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), in corneal donors and in the general population of Slovakia and (2) to assess the genetic testing of corneal donors as an effective preventive measure against iatrogenic infection in a country with an unusually high incidence of genetic CJD. METHODS: The prion protein gene (PRNP) was analyzed in 1133 corneal donors and 970 control subjects to search for E200K mutation and to determine the genotype at codon 129. RESULTS: Mutation E200K was found in 2 of the 1133 donors and in 4 of the 970 control subjects. The most frequent genotype at the codon 129 polymorphic region was methionine homozygous (48% of donors and controls). CONCLUSIONS: An E200K mutation, which confers a risk of developing genetic CJD, was detected in corneal donors and in the general population. The majority of subjects were codon 129 methionine homozygous that increases susceptibility to CJD. Genetic testing of corneal donors in Slovakia is a useful and effective preventive measure against iatrogenic CJD through human corneal transplantation in the investigated population.

[Treatment of angioid streaks with anti-VEGF]. / Liecba angioid streaks (lakové trhliny) pomocou anti-VEGF.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the possibility to treat the chorioidal neovascularisation in angioid streaks with the help of Bevacizumab. Chorioidal neovascularisation is here the main reason responsible for destroying the vision and affects about 70-85% of patients with this disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 50 years old woman with 2 weeks anamnesis of worsening of vision on left eye. She claims deformed view in the middle of the visual field and mild decrease of visual acuity. BCVA was 0.9 and examination with Amsler grid showed line distorsion in the central part. After fundus examination, angiography and OCT we set diagnosis: angioid streaks complicated by subfoveal chorioidal neovascularisation. We proposed patient treatment with intravitreal Bevacizumab and subsequently started the therapy. RESULTS: One week after bevacizumab application, patient claims vanishing of vision distortion. In four weeks metamorphopsis completely disappeared and BCVA reached 1.2. OCT and FAG showed less leakage. After initial improvement and 7 months of stand still there comes again to vision deterioration (BCVA 0.7). We were obliged to reinject 1.25 mg of Bevacizumab and VA improved to 0.9 and also the deformation was less. Three months after second injection VA was again decreased and patient was treated with third injection. Patient is followed up for period of 12 months with mild deformation of picture and VA 0.7. It was not observed any side effect of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of the chorioidal neovascularisation in angioid streaks is another possibility with the help of Bevacizumab.With this treatment can be delayed the devastation of VA with subfoveal neovascularization. It seems that the treatment is only temporally and during the 12 months follow up came to a few relapse.