title: Stromal architecture and immune tolerance in additive corneal xenografts in rodents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine immune tolerance and corneal ultrastructure following additive corneal xenografts in rodents.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out surgical implantation of excised BALB/c mouse corneal tissue, either freshly isolated (n=6) or after storage at--20 degrees C for 1 week (n=7), into the corneas of Wistar rats at approximately mid-stromal depth. Corneal opacity and neovascularization were evaluated postoperatively, and stromal ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Corneal opacification and neovascularization in the weeks after surgery were less prevalent in grafts of frozen-then-thawed tissue than in grafts of fresh tissue. In a well tolerated frozen-then-thawed xenograft, the matrix architecture was normal throughout most of the recipient and donor tissue, but pronounced fibrillar disorganization was evident adjacent to Descemet's membrane.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We attribute the improved tolerance of frozen-then-thawed xenografts over fresh xenografts to a reduced cellular immune response.
authors: School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
authors: Andrew J
authors: AJ
authors: Quantock
authors: Yoichiro
authors: Y
authors: Sano
authors: Robert D
authors: RD
authors: Young
authors: Shigeru
authors: S
authors: Kinoshita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016510:Corneal Neovascularization; D003318:Corneal Opacity; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D015925:Cryopreservation; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous