Timed biomicroscopy of rabbit corneal wound repair.
Central, full-thickness excisional wounds were made in rabbit corneas to evaluate the biomicroscopic changes during the scarring process. Within the first minutes, the wound is closed with a fibrin clot. A timely microscopic study was performed in 10 rabbits (group A) during the first minutes after surgery to study the morphological changes in fibrin clot formation. A lid speculum was used for lid retraction to continuously expose the eyes. The fibrin clot formed in the first minutes between the wound edges and grew progressively. Subsequent breaks and reconstruction of the clot occurred. With this method, a permanent wound closure did not occur in any of the 10 eyes during the first 90 min. Twenty more rabbits (group B) were used to study the wound repair in more physiological conditions without lid retraction. Microphotographs were obtained at 6 and 12 h, and at 1, 2, 7, 30 and 90 days after surgery. Three months after the procedure, the appearance of the cornea was stable, with a thick leukoma occupying the lesioned area.
Fernandez del Cotero
J N
JN
University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston.
Bonafonte
S
S
Aguirre Vila-Coro
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D003315:Cornea / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D005337:Fibrin / Q000378:metabolism; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D010781:Photography; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing
D005337:Fibrin