Autologous Activated Omental versus Allogeneic Adipose Tissue‑Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Corneal Alkaline Injury: An Experimental Study

Purpose: To compare the effects of two types of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), activated omental cells (AOCs), and adipose tissue‑derived stem cells (ADSCs) in the healing process of animal model of ocular surface alkali injury. Methods: An alkaline burn was induced on the ocular surfaces of eighteen rats divided randomly into three groups. The first and second groups received subconjunctival AOCs and ADSCs, respectively. The control group received normal saline subconjunctival injection. On the 90th day after the injury, the eyes were examined using slit‑lamp biomicroscopy. Corneal neovascularization and scarring were graded in a masked fashion. Histological evaluation of the corneal scar was performed, and the number of inflammatory cells was evaluated. Results: Corneal neovascularization scores revealed higher neovascularization in the control (0.49 ± 0.12) than the AOC (0.80 ± 0.20, P = 0.01) and ADSC groups (0.84 ± 0.24, P = 0.007). There were no statistically significant differences between the neovascularization score of the AOC and ADSC groups (P > 0.05). According to histologic evaluation, stromal infiltration was significantly more in the control group compared to AOC and ADSC groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results suggest that MSCs, even with different sources, can be used to promote wound healing after corneal chemical burns. However, the ease of harvesting ADSC from more superficial fat sources makes this method more clinically applicable.