title: Endothelial cells of rabbit cornea in different storage conditions. A quantitative cytochemical study.
abstract: The metabolic functions of endothelial cells of the rabbit cornea in different storage conditions were studied using quantitative cytochemistry. The corneas were stored for 2 h, and 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days in dexol at 4 degrees C and in culture medium at 37 degrees C. It was shown that glycolysis as expressed by the activity of the cytosolic enzymes glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and lactic dehydrogenase is well preserved for 1 week in dexol and for 3 days only in the culture medium. Mitochondrial enzymes as shown by succinate dehydrogenase and fatty acid oxidation activity show a similar pattern. Uridine diphosphoglucose dehydrogenase, which plays an important part in proteoglycan synthesis, is markedly decreased in both media, but retains its activity in dexol for a slightly longer time. Keratan and chondroitin sulfate content show a sharp drop in the culture medium at 37 degrees C as compared to dexol. This study demonstrates the superiority of dexol at 4 degrees C over the culture medium at 37 degrees C. Quantitative cytochemistry is a useful tool for studying the metabolism of endothelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scharf
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nahir
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002807:Chondroitin / Q000378:metabolism; D015925:Cryopreservation; D003470:Culture Media; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000201:enzymology*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007632:Keratan Sulfate / Q000378:metabolism; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors; D014021:Tissue Preservation
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D002807:Chondroitin; D007632:Keratan Sulfate; D010088:Oxidoreductases