Tissue-engineered corneal epithelium transplantation for treatment of corneal alkaline burn in rabbits Morphological observation

Yuli PI; Weiqiang TANG; Jiangyang LU; Ying DONG

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The tissue engineered corneal epithelium can be constructed with limbal stem cells of healthy rabbit cornea cultured in vitro, and its transplantation may promote the repair and healing of corneal alkaline burn.

OBJECTIVE:

To probe the effect and opportunity of treating corneal alkaline bum by tissue-engineered corneal epithelium transplantation.DESIGN, TIME AND

SETTING:

Controlled observational animal experiment was performed in the Department of Experimental Animal at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital between July 2007 and June 2008.MATERIALS Twenty-one New Zealand female white rabbits, weighing 2.0-2.5 kg, were divided into control group (n=8, 16 eyes) and transplantation group (n=13, 26 eyes) at random. The transplantation group was further assigned into early transplantation group at 1 day (n=2, 4 eyes), 3 days (n=3, 6 eyes), 6 days (n=6, 12 eyes), and 9 days (n=9, 18 eyes); and mataphase transplantation group at 14 days (n=3, 6 eyes).

METHODS:

The tissue-engineered corneal epithelium was prepared on 21 rabbits with limbal stem cells cultured in vitro, and reforming comeel alkaline burn models of double eyes were induced by 1 mollL NaOH. The autotogous or allogenic tissue-engineered comeal epithelium transplantation was conducted on early time points (1, 3, 6, 9 days) or metaphase (14 days) after alkaline burning. In the control group, the burns were observed for 4 consecutive weeks.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

The ocular surface integrity and histopathology in the transplantation group and control group were observed on several time points within 4 weeks.

RESULTS:

At 1 weak after corneal alkaline burning, large corneal epithelial dasquamation occurred, 72% incidence of epithelial desquamation or corneal ulcer at 2 weeks, and continued to 4 weeks, while only 25% were observed at 4 weeks in transplantation group, most gained ocular surface integrity; cell infiltration and vascularization of corneal stroma had not bean suppressed in metaphase transplantation group, while they were suppressed obviously in the deep comeal stroma in early transplantation groups; Within 4 weeks, immunological rejection induced by allogenic transplantation was not greater than that of autologous transplantation.

CONCLUSION:

Cultivated autologous or allogenic tissue-engineered corneal epithelium transplantation could recover ocular surface integrity as soon as possible, and the effect of early transplantation surpasses that of mstaphase.