Wound-healing response and refractive regression after conductive keratoplasty.
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.
Esquenazi
Salomon
S
LSU Eye Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA. sesque@lsuhsc.edu
He
Jiucheng
J
Kim
Dooho B
DB
Bazan
Nicolas G
NG
Bui
Viet
V
Bazan
Haydee E P
HE
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*
D000199:Actins; D015415:Biomarkers; D011508:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans; D024061:Collagen Type III; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1