A previous abrasion in the contralateral eye influences the cell kinetics during healing of a central corneal abrasion.
OBJECTIVE
To study the influence of a previous erosion in the fellow eye on the proliferative response during healing of a central corneal erosion.


METHODS
A corneal abrasion was made on the right eye of 20 rats. After 1 week a corneal erosion was made in the left eye of the pre-treated animals and in 20 previously untreated animals. Cell kinetic methods were used to estimate the labelling index (LI) and the mitotic rate (MR) after 1, 2, 4, 6 and 12 days.


RESULTS
After 24 hours the corneal erosions were covered by epithelial cells in 3 of 4 animals in both groups. The LI and the MR were significantly higher in the pre-treated group on the 2nd day after erosion.


CONCLUSIONS
The proliferation measured by LI and MR was increased when an abrasion was made in the contralateral eye 1 week earlier. This might explain the faster healing rate of the second eye reported by other authors (Rask et al. 1996). The healing process in the cornea is modulated by systemic influence.
Estil
S
S
Department of Ophthalmology and Institute of Pathology, The National Hospital, University of Oslo and Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway. s.a.estil@klinmed.uio.no
Haaskjold
E
E
Bjerknes
R
R
Refsum
S B
SB
D000818:Animals; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000293:injuries* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008938:Mitosis / Q000502:physiology*; D008940:Mitotic Index; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*