title: Corneal endothelial healing rate and the effect of topical retinoic acid.
abstract: These studies were undertaken to evaluate wound healing rates of the corneal endothelium in vivo. After insertion of a 26-gauge needle into the anterior chamber of the rabbit eye through the limbus, a 5-0 nylon monofilament was introduced through the needle, and endothelial wounds were made by scratching the cells with the filament. The wounds were photographed with a wide-field specular microscope at various intervals. Montages of the wounds were made, and the areas of the wounds were determined by planimetry. Wound closure occurred rapidly in a linear manner during the first 6 hr after wounding, after which the rate of cell migration decreased. Healing rates (micron2/hr) during the first 6 hr were calculated by linear regression analysis. There was a direct linear correlation between the healing rate and initial wound area. The slope of this line for nine normal (untreated) corneas was 0.093 hr-1. Nine corneas were treated with 0.1% retinoic acid in petrolatum ointment, while eight control corneas received vehicle alone. The slope of healing rate versus initial wound area for treated corneas (0.11 hr-1) was significantly greater than control (0.097 hr-1). This was interpreted as a stimulation of corneal endothelial migration during healing by retinoic acid. As a result of this study, a method for analysis of corneal endothelial healing rate has been developed which can be used for comparison of healing rates among treatments when initial wound area cannot be standardized.
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D014212:Tretinoin