We examined a series of changes that occur in the trabecular meshwork fibers of human eyes during fetal development at 12-30 weeks of gestation. At 12 and 15 weeks, the uveal meshwork was stained black with silver impregnation (indicating the predominance of collagen types III and IV) in the endomysium of the ciliary muscle. At 20 weeks, in combination with Schlemm's canal, a dense fibrous tissue mass corresponding to the trabecular meshwork anlage appeared and was colored black. The anlage was continuous with the corneal endothelium rather than with the ciliary muscle. Until 25 weeks, the trabecular meshwork was identifiable as fragmented fiber bundles that stained red-black, suggesting a mixture of collagen types I, III, and IV. At 30 weeks, half of the ciliary muscle fibers were inserted into the scleral spur and not into the meshwork. Therefore, any contribution of ciliary muscle contraction to the differentiation of the trabecular meshwork would appear to be limited. We hypothesize that an uneven distribution of mechanical stresses in the area of the cornea-sclera junction causes a tear thereby creating Schlemm's canal and is accompanied by a change in the collagen fiber types comprising the meshwork.
Collagen ; Endothelium, Corneal ; Eye ; Fetal Development ; Humans ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscles ; Pregnancy ; Silver ; Silver Staining ; Stress, Mechanical ; Trabecular Meshwork

The frontal nerve is characterized by its great content of sympathetic nerve fibers in contrast to cutaneous branches of the maxillary and mandibular nerves. However, we needed to add information about composite fibers of cutaneous branches of the nasociliary nerve. Using cadaveric specimens from 20 donated cadavers (mean age, 85), we performed immunohistochemistry of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). The nasocilliary nerve contained abundant nNOS-positive fibers in contrast to few TH- and VIP-positive fibers. The short ciliary nerves also contained nNOS-positive fibers, but TH-positive fibers were more numerous than nNOS-positive ones. Parasympathetic innervation to the sweat gland is well known, but the original nerve course seemed not to be demonstrated yet. The present study may be the first report on a skin nerve containing abundant nNOS-positive fibers. The unique parasympathetic contents in the nasocilliary nerve seemed to supply the forehead sweat glands as well as glands in the eyelid and nasal epithelium.
Cadaver ; Eyelids ; Forehead ; Humans* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mandibular Nerve ; Nasal Mucosa ; Nerve Fibers ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I ; Skin ; Sweat Glands ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide