title: Wound-healing response and refractive regression after conductive keratoplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the histological changes that occur after conductive keratoplasty (CK) using a rabbit model.
  
  
  METHODS
  LSU Eye Center and Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Conductive keratoplasty was performed on 24 eyes of 12 New Zealand albino rabbits. In each eye, 24 spots were placed in a cross-corneal manner using 3 optical zones at 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0 mm. Eyes were assessed with corneal topography weekly. Rabbits were humanely killed 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks postoperatively. The eyes were then enucleated and processed for histopathology and immunohistochemical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All eyes showed an initial mean steepening of the corneal curvature of 2.24 diopters (D) 2 weeks postoperatively. Corneal topography revealed a 26%, 36%, and 39% regression of the refractive results at 4, 6, and 8 weeks, respectively. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated keratocyte apoptosis, myofibroblast appearance, and upregulation of chondroitin sulfate, MMP-1, and collagen III in the area surrounding the tip in each spot.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The histological changes that occur after CK may be responsible for the well-established regression of its refractive effect. A better understanding of the wound-healing response after CK is necessary to improve the long-term stability of the procedure.
authors.affiliation: LSU Eye Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA. sesque@lsuhsc.edu
authors.forename: Salomon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esquenazi
authors.forename: Jiucheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Dooho B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Nicolas G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Bazan
authors.forename: Viet
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bui
authors.forename: Haydee E P
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Bazan
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D011508:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000601:surgery*; D019781:Corneal Topography; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000379:methods*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000473:pathology; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D015415:Biomarkers; D011508:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans; D024061:Collagen Type III; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1