Insulin eye drops improve corneal wound healing in STZ-induced diabetic mice by regulating corneal inflammation and neuropeptide release

Abstract Introduction In recent years, insulin eye drops have attracted increasing attention from researchers and ophthalmologists. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and possible mechanism of action of insulin eye drops in diabetic mice with corneal wounds. Methods A type 1 diabetes model was induced, and a corneal epithelial injury model of 2.5 mm was established. We used corneal fluorescein staining, hematoxylin-eosin (H-E) staining and the Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer to examine the process of wound healing. Subsequently, the expression levels of Ki-67, IL-1β, β3-tubulin and neuropeptides, including substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), were examined at 72 h after corneal injury. Results Fluorescein staining demonstrated an acceleration of the recovery of corneal epithelial injury in diabetic mice compared with the saline treatment, which was further evidenced by the overexpression of Ki-67. Moreover, 72 h of insulin application attenuated the expression of inflammatory cytokines and neutrophil infiltration. Remarkably, the results demonstrated that topical insulin treatment enhanced the density of corneal epithelial nerves, as well as neuropeptide SP and CGRP release, in the healing cornea via immunofluorescence staining. Conclusions Our results indicated that insulin eye drops may accelerate corneal wound healing and decrease inflammatory responses in diabetic mice by promoting nerve regeneration and increasing levels of neuropeptides SP and CGRP.