title: Anterior stromal micropuncture electron microscopic changes in the rabbit cornea.
abstract: Anterior stromal micropuncture has become an effective treatment for recurrent erosion. The healing process in rabbit corneas was investigated. Following micropuncture of the corneal surface with a 27-gauge needle knife, electron microscopy was carried out at regular intervals from time 0 through 5 months. The corneal incisions began to fill with epithelium by day 1. Activated keratocytes were adjacent to the basement membrane defect by 7 days. The basement membrane appeared to be healed at 2 and 4 weeks. Epithelial projections into the stromal incisions with underlying mature basement membrane persisted at 5 months postsurgery. Basement membrane reproduction occurred much more rapidly following needle puncture than after microdiathermy. This was thought to occur because the corneal epithelial cell was immediately exposed to type I collagen, whereas following microdiathermy, new type I collagen must be secreted on the necrotic collagen before the corneal epithelium will secrete basement membrane.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee, Memphis.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Judge
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Payant
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frase
authors.forename: T O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D003315:Cornea / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011817:Rabbits; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen