Prophylactic ophthalmic bethametazone for sulfur mustard-inducedocular injury

Background: the present study sought to evaluate the prophylactic effect of bethametazone on sulfur mustard (sm)-induced ocular morphometric damage in the rabbit eye.methods: twenty five healthy new zealand white rabbits were divided into 4 groups of normal (not exposed to sm orsolution), solution (exposed to solution), sm (exposed to sm), and prophylactic bethametazone (received eye solutionof bethametazone then exposed to sm solution; then treated for 2 weeks). on the day 14 after exposure, five-micronsections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin for light microscopy evaluation. the ocular morphometric characteristicsin the study groups were compared to determine the prophylactic effects of the bethametazone.results: bethamethazone could protect eyes from sm effect by means of decrease in changes in number of keratocytein 10000 (mu)m^2, thickness of cornea (ìm), thickness of corneal epithelium ((mu)m), number of meibomiangland's cells in 2500 (mu)m^2, thickness of palpebral conjuctival epithelium ((mu)m), thickness of epithelial of palpebral skin ((mu)m), number of epithelial layers of palpebral skin, and number of goblet cells in conjunctivalsac in 1000 (mu)m.conclusions: bethametazone may have a prophylactic effect on the early lesions of the eye of the rabbit due to smexposure.