Keratocyte loss and repopulation of anterior corneal stroma after de-epithelialization
K. D. Szerenyi, X. Wang, K. Gabrielian and P. J. McDonnell
Doheny Eye Institute, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
OBJECTIVE: To quantitate corneal keratocyte loss and repopulation of
anterior stroma after de-epithelialization. METHODS: Fourteen white New
Zealand rabbits, each weighing 2.3 to 3.2 kg, were divided into seven
groups. Each rabbit underwent a bilateral 6-mm mechanical
deepithelialization procedure. The rabbits were killed two at a time after
1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 14, and 28 days. The corneas were labeled for mitosis using
5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine and stained for keratocyte quantification. Three
untreated rabbits were added as controls. RESULTS: Corneas that were not
operated on showed a higher density of keratocyte nuclei within the
anterior corneal stroma than in the posterior stroma. Following
de-epithelialization, there was a decrease in the ratio of
anterior-posterior keratocytes, with maximal decrease on the third
postoperative day. Keratocyte repopulation was completed by day 14. Mitotic
activity was seen on days 1, 3, and 6 in the anterior half of the
de-epithelialized stroma. CONCLUSIONS: Anterior stromal keratocytes are
lost after epithelial removal, but repopulation is complete within 2 weeks.
These findings demonstrate a loss of keratocytes and their recovery after
corneal epithelial removal, as well as an interaction between corneal
epithelium and stroma in rabbits.
