Morphology and Adhesion Complex of Cultured Epithelium, on Amniotic Membrane in Vitro and in Vivo

PURPOSE: The morphologic characteristics and adhesion complex formation of cultured limbal epithelium of rabbit on amniotic membrane, in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Rabbit limbal explants were cultured in vitro on amniotic membrane for 4 weeks. In the in vivo culture, the rabbit corneal epithelium was removed. Next, a tunnel was created at the limbus and, the edge of amniotic membrane was secured in the tunnel and cultured for 4 weeks. The proliferation of epithelium on the amniotic membrane was observed for 4 weeks at 1 week intervals. RESULTS: AE-5 immunohistochemical staining was positive and PAS staining was negative for cultured rabbit limbal epithelium, in vitro and in vivo. Hematoxylin and Eosin staining showed the morphologic characteristics of normal rabbit corneal epithelium in both groups. Transmission electron microscopy performed at an interval of 1 week showed adhesion complex by 3 weeks of in vitro culture, and no significant change was seen until week 4. The formation of the adhesion complex was shown starting at week 1 of in vivo culture and increased until week 4. CONCLUSIONS: The morphology of corneal limbal epithelium of rabbits cultured on amniotic membrane in vitro and in vivo, did not differ significantly compared with normal rabbit epithelium. In vivo culture resulted in more a normal-looking adhesion complex compared with the in vitro culture.

Analysis of Ocular Motility Disturbance remained After Open Reduction in Orbital wall Fracture

We evaluated 38patients with orbital wall fracture, who were repaired surgically after its diagnosis from January 1986 to October 1995. We analysed its clinical symptoms and signs, ocular motlity disturbances and strabismus remaining after reduction. All the aptients showed diplopia due to ocular motility disturbance, it was greater in the patients with large fracture size and inferior wall fracture. The ocular motility disturbance remaining after the reduction was proportional to the fracture size and the time between trauma and its reduction. The exotropia and hypertropia of the fracturd eye were the main types of strabismus remaining after reduction. It was more severe in the patients with large fracture size and upper grade of ocular motility disturbance. The weakening procedure of horizontal and vertical muscle resulted in good correction for the strabismus.

The Effect of Bromocriptine on the Inhibition of Eyeball Growth at Various Concentration in Myopic Chicken Model

The authors examined the effect and concentration dependency of bromocriptine on the inhibition of axial length elongation in the experimentally induced myopic chicken. Two day-old white Leghorn chicken was monocularly deprived of form vision by lid suture. We measured the axial length of chicken's eye by ultrasonography at 2 day, 2 week, 4 week, and 6 week following repeated ophthalmic dosing beginning at 2 day. The first group was instilled with 0.1 cc of Tris buffer solution, whereas the second, third, and fourth groups were instilled with 0.1cc of 0.01 %, 0.02%, 0.04% bromocriptine solution respectively. All solutions were instilled twice daily for 6 weeks. In the inhibition of axial length elongation, the third group (0.02% bromocriptine) was most effective at 2 week (p<0.05), whereas the second group (0.01% bromocriptine) was most effective at 4 and 6 week (p<0.05). In summary, the axial length elongation of eyeball was effectively retarded by bromocriptine with the best efficacy at 0.02% in short-term dosing while at 0.01% in long-term dosing.