The use of sodium hyaluronate in cryopreservation of cornea / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess the effect of cryopreservation of cornea in glycerol,to analyze the protective effect of sodium hyaluronate on corneal endothelial cells(CEC) during preservation,and to find out a convenient and cheap method for the storage of cornea.Methods 20 rabbit corneas were divided into two groups randomly.The corneas of control group were stored directly in pure glycerol at-25℃,while in the experimental group sodium hyaluronate was evenly anointed on the corneal endothelial surface of the cornea before being cryopreserved in glycerol.2 months later,the effect of preservation for both groups was examined with trypan blue combined with alizarin red staining(viability staining) for corneal endothelial cells,electron-microscope examination for preserved corneas,and rabbit experimental penetrating keratoplasty(PKP) with the long-term cryopreserved corneas from both the experimental and control groups.Results CEC viability could be preserved by both methods.CEC trypan blue combined with alizarin red staining(viability staining) showed that the CEC density of cornea in the experimental group was 3 067.9?127.6/mm2,which was higher than that of control group(2 899.9?134.0/mm2).The mortality of CEC in experimental group was 4.2%?3.4%,lower than that in control group(13.8%?2.2%).Suceessful rate of PKP was higher in the experimental group with higher CEC density.Conclusion Cryopreservation with glycerol can preserve the viability of CEC.Sodium hyaluronate can reduce the damage to endothelium in the preserving procedure and can obviously improve the effect of preservation.The improved cryopreservation of cornea with glycerol may be a convenient,economic and effective method for eyebank.