UV absorbance of a bioengineered corneal stroma substitute in the 240-400 nm range.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the UV absorbance of a bioengineered human corneal stroma construct based on fibrin and fibrin-agarose scaffolds in the 240-400 nm range.


METHODS
Three types of artificial substitutes of the human corneal stroma were developed by tissue engineering using fibrin and fibrin with 0.1% and 0.2% agarose scaffolds with human keratocytes immersed within. After 28 days of culture, the UV absorbance of each sample was determined using a spectrophotometer. The thickness of corneal stroma samples was determined by light microscope.


RESULTS
For all the 3 types of corneal stroma substitutes studied, the range of the UV absorbance values was similar to that of the native human corneal stroma, although the fibrin with 0.1% agarose stroma substitute had the best UV filtering properties. The higher UV absorbance of the artificial substitute of the human corneal stroma was in the UV-B and -A ranges, suggesting that these artificial tissues could have potential clinical usefulness and proper UV light-absorption capabilities.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that the bioengineered human corneal substitute of fibrin with 0.1% agarose is an effective absorber of harmful UV radiation and could therefore be potentially useful.
Department of Optics,University of Granada, Granada.
Ana-Maria
AM
Ionescu
Juan
J
de la Cruz Cardona
Miguel
M
González-Andrades
Miguel
M
Alaminos
Antonio
A
Campos
Enrique
E
Hita
María
M
del Mar Pérez
D001187:Artificial Organs; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000166:cytology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005337:Fibrin / Q000737:chemistry*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D012685:Sepharose / Q000737:chemistry*; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005337:Fibrin; D012685:Sepharose