Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Drugs lisinopril and fasudil reduce corneal scarring in dogs in lab
By Routh, Brayden L et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2026·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Anti-fibrotic effects of lisinopril (ACE inhibitor) and fasudil (ROCK inhibitor) in combination for canine corneal fibrosis in vitro.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at how two FDA-approved medications, lisinopril and fasudil, could help treat corneal fibrosis in dogs, which can lead to blindness. Researchers tested these drugs on cells from healthy dog corneas and found that a combination of both medications significantly reduced the formation of scar tissue in the cornea. The doses used were safe and did not harm the cells. This suggests that an eye drop formulation containing these drugs could be a promising treatment for dogs suffering from corneal fibrosis, but more research is needed to confirm its effectiveness in real dogs.
People also search for: dog corneal fibrosis treatment · lisinopril for dogs eyes · fasudil eye drops for dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Corneal fibrosis is a leading cause of blindness in mammalian species and may result in compromised performance in sports and daily functions. This study evaluated the safety and anti-fibrotic effects of the FDA-approved drugs, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I) lisinopril and rho-kinase inhibitor (ROCK-I) fasudil, alone and in combination, on the canine cornea using an established in vitro model. METHODS: To test the safety and efficacy of lisinopril and fasudil, primary canine corneal fibroblasts (CCFs) generated from donor corneas of healthy dogs (n = 20) were used. A series of dose-dependent and time-dependent assays with lisinopril (1-50 μM) and fasudil (1-10 nM) were performed. qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence (IF) staining, cell viability assay, cell proliferation assay, LIVE/DEAD viability/cytotoxicity assay, TUNEL assay, and total cell count were performed. RESULTS: A 25-μM lisinopril and 3-nM fasudil dose were safe, nontoxic, and optimal for therapeutic evaluations in vitro. Treatments of lisinopril or fasudil, alone or in-combination, to CCFs grown in the presence of TGF-β1 (5 ng/mL) showed inhibition of myofibroblast formation based on phase-contrast microscopy. The qRT-PCR and IF studies showed a significant decrease in expression of profibrotic markers, including α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA; p < .0001), fibronectin (FN; p = .0002), tenascin C (TNC; p < .0001), Collagen I (Col-I; p < .0001), Collagen IIIA1 (Co-IIIA1; p < .0001), and Collagen IV (Co-lV; p < .0001). CONCLUSION: An ophthalmic formulation consisting of lisinopril and fasudil may offer a safe and effective method to treat canine corneal fibrosis. Additional studies evaluating safety and efficacy of this formulation in vivo are warranted.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39592228/