[Keratoprosthesis design and biological response to a synthetic cornea].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the biological response to three different designs of synthetic cornea in vivo.


METHODS
All devices consist of a transparent center and a porous blown periphery. Thirty-five devices were implanted into 35 rabbits' corneas and followed up to more than 6 months. Rabbit corneal stromal cells were inoculated onto the anterior surface of the synthetic cornea and cultured in vitro for one week before the operation. The anterior surface of the optic center hydrogel was modified with radio frequency (rf)-argon plasma treatment.


RESULTS
Fibroplasia occurred 2 weeks after surgery and collagen was detected by 28 days. The anterior chamber was normal without detectable leakage of aqueous humor. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was detected at the interface between the device and the tissue by 42 days.


CONCLUSIONS
It is demonstrated that rabbit limbal epithelial cells can migrate onto the synthetic cornea in vivo.
Wu
X
X
Department of Ophthalmology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
Trinkaus-Randall
V
V
Tsuk
A
A
D000818:Animals; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000502:physiology*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000502:physiology; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000378:metabolism; D006648:Histocompatibility / Q000502:physiology; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000502:physiology*; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods; D011817:Rabbits
D003094:Collagen; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D006497:Heparan Sulfate