Chitin hybrid membrane carrying cells repairs corneal epithelial injury / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Chitin has been found to be a good biomaterial, but research on chitin carrying corneal epithelial cel s for rabbit corneal epithelial injury is little reported. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the repair outcomes of chitin hybrid membrane carrying corneal epithelial cel s in the rabbit corneal epithelial injury.METHODS:Eighteen New Zealand white rabbits were enrol ed and made into left corneal epithelial injury models, and then randomized into two groups and treated with chitin hybrid membrane carrying corneal epithelial cel s (experimental group) and chitin hybrid membrane (control group), respectively. The damage area, histological changes and ultrastructure of the cornea were observed at 1, 3, and 7 days after implantation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Damage area of the cornea in the experimental group was significantly less than that in the control group at 1 and 3 days after implantation (P<0.05), and the cornea in both two groups healed wel at 7 days after implantation. At 7 days after implantation, in both two groups, the corneal epithelium with six layers adhered to the corneal stroma closely, which was repaired completely and regularly. Comparatively speaking, the cornea in the experimental group possessed smooth outer layer. Besides, in the experimental group, the hexagonal corneal epithelial cel s arranged closely with flat surface;while the hexagonal corneal epithelial cel s in the control group showed no smooth surface and gaps between cel s. These results indicate that chitin hybrid membrane carrying corneal epithelial cel s promotes the repair of rabbit corneal epithelial injury.