In vivo confocal microscopic grading system for standardized corneal evaluation: application to toxic-induced damage in rat.
OBJECTIVE
To propose an in vivo confocal microscopic scoring system for evaluation of irritant-induced corneal changes.


METHODS
Rat corneas were instilled with 0.01-0.5% benzalkonium chloride (BAC) and examined using high-resolution in vivo confocal microscopy (HRT-II) to measure corneal thickness and characterize corneal damage patterns. Severity scores were given for each predefined evaluation parameter and then totaled.


RESULTS
The scoring system revealed a dose-dependent effect of BAC and discriminated between high- and low-dose treatments.


CONCLUSIONS
This HRT-II scoring standardizes damage evaluation at the cellular level, even when assessing irritating compounds at low concentrations.
Paris-Descartes University, Paris, France. aude pauly@yahoo.com
Aude
A
Pauly
Antoine
A
Labbe
Christophe
C
Baudouin
Hong
H
Liang
Jean-Michel
JM
Warnet
Francoise
F
Brignole-Baudouin
D000818:Animals; D001548:Benzalkonium Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D002452:Cell Count; D048429:Cell Size; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000145:classification*; D003902:Detergents / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
D001548:Benzalkonium Compounds; D003902:Detergents