AOR
Archives of Ophthalmological Research

The Archives of Ophthalmological Research aims to publish issues related to publish articles of the highest scientific and clinical value at an international level, and accepts articles on these topics. The target audience of the journal included specialists and physicians working in ophthalmology, and other health professionals interested in these fields.

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Original Article
Retinal safety and apoptotic effects of intravitreal nepafenac: an experimental rabbit study
Abstract
Aims: To evaluate the clinical, histopathological, and apoptotic effects of intravitreal administration of nepafenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, on healthy rabbit retinas.
Methods: Forty-two New Zealand white rabbits were included in this experimental study. The eyes were divided into three groups: a control group (n=10), a low-dose intravitreal nepafenac group (0.05 mg/ml, n=16), and a high-dose group (0.1 mg/ml, n=16). Clinical ophthalmological examinations were performed at baseline, 1 week, and 1 month after injection. Eyes were enucleated at predefined time points (week 1 or month 1) for histopathological evaluation using hematoxylin-eosin staining. Apoptotic cell death was assessed using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) method.
Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between groups in terms of intraocular pressure or central corneal thickness at any time point (p>0.05). Transient lens opacities were observed in 6 eyes (4 in the high-dose group and 2 in the low-dose group) during the first week after injection; these resolved completely by the first month. Histopathological examination revealed preserved retinal layer integrity in all groups. TUNEL analysis demonstrated no significant difference in Apoptotic Index between the control and treatment groups (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Intravitreal nepafenac administration did not result in significant histopathological or apoptotic toxicity in healthy rabbit retinas in the short and medium term. These findings suggest that nepafenac may represent a potential intravitreal anti-inflammatory agent; however, further studies evaluating repeated dosing and diseased models are required before clinical application.

Keywords : Intravitreal injection, nepafenac, retinal toxicity, apoptosis, TUNEL analysis

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Article available in :
Volume 3, Issue 3, 2026
Page : 47-51
https://doi.org/10.51271/AOR-0055
Article Information
Received : 28 Jul 2026
Accepted : 21 Sep 2026
Published : 24 Sep 2026
Corresponding Author :

Yaşar Ölmez: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkiye

[email protected]
Citation : Ölmez Y, Oğurel T, Örnek N, Onaran Z, Oğurel R. Retinal safety and apoptotic effects of intravitreal nepafenac: an experimental rabbit study. Arch Ophthalmol Res. 2026;3(3):47-51. doi:10.51271/AOR-0055

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