Emre S.Yilmaz Z.Öztürk F.Emre M.H.2024-07-222024-07-22200900303747http://akademikarsiv.cbu.edu.tr:4000/handle/123456789/18695Aim: This study is designed to investigate the protective effects of propolis in ocular tissues against chronic alcohol exposure. Material and Method: Wistar albino rats were used in this study. Rats were divided into 4 groups, and each group was fed a special liquid diet which contained an equal amount of calories. The control group was fed the liquid special diet without alcohol and propolis. We added propolis (150 mg/kg) to the diet of the second group. The diet of the third group contained alcohol, the concentration of which was increased progressively. The fourth group was fed a diet including propolis and alcohol. To counterbalance caloric intake, we decreased the amount of glucose in the special liquid diet for groups 3 and 4. At the end of 30 days, the animals were sacrificed and samples were kept at -80°C until evaluation. Specimens were investigated by light microscopy for morphology and morphometry. Results: In the histological investigation of ocular tissues, alcohol caused an increase in thickness of the cornea and corneal epithelium compared to the control group (p < 0.05). This incremental tendency was significantly reduced by propolis, and values were very close to those of the control group (p > 0.05). Alcohol did not cause any significant alteration of rat retinal thickness. Conclusion: This study showed that propolis is highly effective against corneal edema secondary to chronic alcohol intake. © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.EnglishAlcoholismAnimalsAnti-Infective AgentsCorneaCorneal EdemaHumansPropolisRatsRats, WistarRetinaalcoholglucosepropolisalcohol consumptionanimal experimentanimal tissuearticlecaloric intakecontrolled studycornea epitheliumcornea thicknessdiet supplementationeye protectionhistologymorphologymorphometricsnonhumanpriority journalratretinaArticle10.1159/000229029