Histochemical evaluation of enzymes in the rabbit corneal endothelium after short-term storage.
Isolated rabbit corneae were stored at a temperature of 4 degrees C in McCoy's 5a medium (modified) containing 5% dextran T 40 and gentamycin sulphate (250 mug/ml) for a varied number of days. The endothelium of the corneae was examined by light- and electron-microscopic histochemical methods for ATPase, TPPase, and SDH. The activity of each enzyme in the endothelia, stored for 6 days, was found to resemble the enzyme activities in the fresh corneal endothelium. By 8 days, the SDH activity was lowered and specific staining for ATPase and TPPase was decreased. In the 12 day-stored endothelium, the SDH and TPPase activities could not be detected. From these results, it was gathered that the isolated cornea stored in the medium for 6 days may be used in keratoplasty.
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000201:enzymology*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D004727:Endothelium / Q000201:enzymology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D011817:Rabbits; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D013834:Thiamine Pyrophosphatase / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014021:Tissue Preservation
D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D013834:Thiamine Pyrophosphatase