Researchers in the study induced Type 1 diabetes in rats by injecting streptozotocin. Dry eye and corneal insensitivity were detected in the diabetic rats beginning five weeks after the injection.
The researches then administered varying levels of NTX or a sterile fluid to three different groups of rats.
The study found that topical treatment with NTX normalized tear production and corneal sensitivity in the Type 1 diabetic rats. The reversal of dry eye lasted for up to three days in rats receiving NTX, and restitution of corneal sensation lasted for four to seven days.
The researchers concluded that topical application of NTX to the ocular surface may serve as an important strategy for treating dry eye and corneal anesthesia in patients with diabetes.
Read the Archives of Ophthalmology study on naltrexone hydrochloride and ocular complications.
