A mouse model of allogeneic corneal endothelial cell transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
Corneal endothelial cell (CEC) transplantation should become clinically applicable in the near future. However, the immunologic changes after allo-CEC transplantation are poorly understood at present. We tried to establish a mouse model of allogeneic CEC transplantation for immunologic studies.


METHODS
Benzalkonium chloride was injected into the anterior chamber of the eyes of recipient BALB/c mice to create bullous keratopathy. Full-thickness corneal transplantation was performed by using 4 types of corneas: BALB/c corneas (isograft group), BALB/c corneas denuded of CEC (no endothelium group), C3H/He mouse corneas (allograft group), and corneas reconstituted by seeding immortalized C3H/He mouse CECs onto BALB/c corneas denuded of endothelium (CEC allograft group). Eyes were observed with an operating microscope for 4 weeks after transplantation and were subjected to histologic examination and fluorescein microscopy.


RESULTS
All corneal grafts were transparent in the isograft group (n = 12), whereas none of the grafts were clear by 4 weeks after transplantation in the no endothelium group (n = 13). Corneal grafts were transparent at 4 weeks in 75% of the CEC allograft group (n = 12). The histologic rejection rate was 0% in the CEC allograft group, which was significantly lower than in the allograft group (67%; n = 18; P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
We established a mouse allo-CEC transplantation model by using cultured cells. This model should be useful for studying the immunologic processes after CEC transplantation.
Hayashi
Takahiko
T
Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Yamagami
Satoru
S
Tanaka
Kazumi
K
Yokoo
Seiichi
S
Usui
Tomohiko
T
Amano
Shiro
S
Mizuki
Nobuhisa
N
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002452:Cell Count; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous