Confocal Microscopic and Histopathologic Changes in Corneal Morphology Under Corneal Scraped Injury in Rabbit.
- Author:
Jong Soo LEE
1
;
Jong Wook HONG
;
Joo Young SONG
;
Boo Sup OUM
;
Rahul R MOHAN
;
Steven E WILSON
Author Information
1. Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, Busan National University, Busan, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Acelluar zone thickness;
Confocal microscopy;
Corneal thickness;
Keratocyte cell density
- MeSH:
Apoptosis;
Cell Count;
Chromatin;
Cornea;
Epithelium;
Microscopy, Confocal;
Rabbits;
Wound Healing;
Wounds and Injuries
- From:Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society
2001;42(3):464-472
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: To investigate that the effects of early wound healing stage after corneal epithelial scrape injury. METHODS: We studied the change of scraped corneal wound like corneal cells, corneal thickness, acelluar zone, and celluar morphology occurring at the time points of 1, 4, 12, 24, 48, 72 hours, and 7 days after corneal epithelial scrape injury by the confocal microscopy and EM findings in 4 each group rabbits. RESULTS: By normal confocal microscopy, the mean cell density was 891 cells/mm2 in the anterior stroma and decreased to 814 cells/mm2 in the middle stroma, 731 cells/mm2 in the posterior stroma, and the endothelial density was 3236 cells/mm2. The change in the morphology of the keratocyte nuclei from an elliptical shape anteriorly, to a more elongated shape posteriorly. Apoptosis revealed like as condensation or fragmentation of chromatin and nuclei, vesicle formation, apoptotic bodies after corneal scraped injury by EM findings. The mean thickness of normal cornea was as follow; 47 micrometer in the epithelium, 334 micrometer in the stroma, and 392 micrometer in total cornea. The thickness of postoperative cornea including stromal thickness and total thickness increased at the early wound healing stage, and then decreased to the postoperative 48 hours(P<0.001). Mean range of acellular zone in the stroma increased at the early wound healing, but significantly decreased at the postoperative 48 hours, 79 micrometer(P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Keratocyte cell density and corneal thickness at the three portions of cornea, the thickness of stromal acelluar zone, and the changes of cellular morphology were related with a kind of the early post-inflammatory reaction, especially 24 hours, of corneal scraped injury. It should be needed more studies concerned with control of early post-inflammatory reaction.
