Comparison of Wound Healing and Inflammation Depending on the ablation Methods in Rabbits

ABSTRACT

In excimer laser ablation, the methods of epithelial removal include mechanical, chemical(alcohol), and laser ablation. To investigate the effects of the de-epithelialization methods, we removed corneal epithelia of 60 rabbits with above three methods and examined corneal epithelial healing time, stromal PMN cells, and immunohistochemical expression of c-fos with time interval. Corneal epithelia healed in 48 hours in the alcohol and laser ablation groups, but in 72 hours in the mechanical ablation group. The count of the stromal PMN cells was maximal in 12 hours in all three groups, and the inflammaion was prolonged in the alcohol ablation group(p<0.05). The c-fos was expressed after 6 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours in all 3 groups and after 48 hours only in the mechanical ablation group. This study suggests that mechanical ablation may produce a larger damage to cornea than laser and chemical ablations and the expression of c-fos in corneal epithelium may be significant findings related to epithelial wound healing.