title: Comparison of 1540-nm laser-induced injuries in ex vivo and in vitro rabbit corneal models.
abstract: Despite the increasing use of infrared lasers in medical, industrial, and military settings, data on threshold radiant exposures and median effective dose (ED(50)) as they relate to laser-tissue interaction are limited. Our goals were to determine the ED(50) for single-pulse, 1540-nm laser exposures in ex vivo and in vitro rabbit corneal models and to characterize the histopathological changes associated with the laser-tissue interaction. An erbium-glass laser was used to deliver single, 1540-nm wavelength pulses to 27 ex vivo and 24 in vitro rabbit corneal models. The ex vivo model was exposed to single pulses of 0.8-ms duration and radiant energies ranging from 17.61 J/cm(2) to 42.26 J/cm(2). The in vitro corneal models were exposed to single pulses of 0.8 ms duration and had radiant exposures ranging from 14.87 to 29.72 J/cm(2). Tissue exposure sites were observed for presence of a lesion immediately post-exposure and 24 h after exposure. Histopathological evaluations of tissue exposure sites were conducted 24 h after exposure. The ED(50) was determined to be 21.24 J/cm(2) for the in vitro rabbit corneal models and 30.86 J/cm(2) for the ex vivo corneal models. Both the in vitro and ex vivo models displayed similar histopathological responses of tissue necrosis and epithelial cell proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: McPherson
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Eurell
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D065306:Corneal Injuries; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011817:Rabbits; D012449:Safety