Arachidonic acid stimulates corneal epithelial migration.

We determined the concentration dependent effects of arachidonic acid between 0.3 and 30 x 10(-6) M on corneal epithelial migration, in an organ culture system of the rabbit cornea. With 3 x 10(-6) M arachidonic acid, corneal epithelial migration was maximally stimulated by 51%. The cyclooxygenase inhibitors, indomethacin, ketoprofen, flurbiprofen and diclofenac sodium also all had a tendency to stimulate corneal epithelial migration at low concentrations (0.1 or 1 x 10(-6) M). However, the inhibitory effect of epithelial migration was observed at higher concentration (100 x 10(-6) M) of these compounds. On the other hand, the selective 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, AA-861 over a concentration range from 0.1 to 10 x 10(-6) M maximally inhibited corneal epithelial migration by 25%. These results suggest that during wound healing some of the increased release of arachidonic acid may be derived from a metabolite of the 5-lipoxygenase pathway which may in turn hasten wound closure.