Wound healing in the rabbit cornea after corneal collagen cross-linking with riboflavin and UVA.

摘要: PURPOSE This study was undertaken to investigate the wound healing process of first 6 weeks after photodynamic cross-linking treatment in rabbit cornea, using photosensitizer riboflavin and UVA. METHODS After removal central epithelium, right corneas 8 Chinchilla rabbits were cross-linked with a photosensitizing 0.1% solution UVA light (370 nm; irradiance, 3 mW/cm(2); dose, 5.4 J/cm(2)) for 30 minutes. Two animals euthanized days, 7 4 weeks, postoperatively. The enucleated eyes evaluated 4-microm microscopic sections routine stains avidin-biotin complex immunostaining anti-alpha-smooth muscle actin. RESULTS By day treatment, complete apoptotic damage loss endothelial cells stromal keratocytes found irradiated area through entire thickness stroma. There marked edema (850 +/- 66 vs. 332 43 microm untreated controls; P < 0.01). epithelium already closed again. At margins lesion, there mild inflammatory reaction scattered macrophages, lymphocytes, neutrophils. 7, endothelium intact again, keratocyte repopulation posterior stroma noted. week 4, anterior observed some acellular areas between. 6, cytoarchitecture cornea seemed normal alpha-actin-positive identified, especially periphery area. CONCLUSIONS riboflavin/UVA cell occurs irradiation an irradiance mW/cm(2). cytotoxic is repaired by approximately 4-6 weeks. A combination other procedures such as implantation intracorneal rings should be performed only sufficient time interval 2 months, allowing cellular regeneration.