title: Corneal endothelial autocrine VIP enhances its integrity in stored human donor corneoscleral explant.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate corneal endothelial (CE) integrity enhanced during eye banking by a brief treatment of human donor corneoscleral explant (explant) with CE autocrine trophic factor vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Paired explants were used as control versus VIP (10 nM)-treated before storage in corneal storage medium (4°C). CE ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor (CNTFRα) and CNTF (0.83 nM) responsiveness in connexin 43 upregulation were monitored (Western blot analysis). CE damage in CNTF-modulated explants and corneal buttons from explants was quantified by analysis of panoramic and microscopic images of the alizarin red-stained corneal endothelium. CE cells scraped from the Descemet's membrane were counted. CE VIP receptor was demonstrated (Western blot analysis).
  
  
  RESULTS
  CE cells in every VIP-treated, freshly dissected explant demonstrated higher CNTFRα levels than controls (100% vs. 142% ± 15%; P = 0.014; 7 pairs stored for 4 to 25 days). Nine days after VIP treatment of previously preserved explants, CNTF responsiveness was 174% ± 23% (P = 0.023; 4 pairs) of controls. Panoramic images of explants and corneal buttons revealed that VIP treatment reduced CE damage to 75% ± 6% (P = 0.023; 4 pairs) and 71% ± 11% (P = 0.016; 9 pairs) of controls, respectively, whereas CE damage to 39% (2 pairs) and 23% ± 4% (P < 0.001; 7 pairs), respectively, was revealed in microscopic images. Twenty-one days after VIP treatment of previously preserved explants, CE cell retention was 206% ± 38% (P = 0.008; 14 pairs) of the control. CE cells from human donor corneas expressed VIP receptor VPAC1 (not VPAC2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CE integrity during eye banking was enhanced by a brief treatment of the explant with the CE autocrine VIP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 10 S. Pine Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. skoh@umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Shay-Whey M
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Dante
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gloria
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Molloy
mesh_terms: D019898:Autocrine Communication / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D053739:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055954:Corneal Endothelial Cell Loss / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation*; D005125:Eye Banks / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D018005:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012590:Sclera / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation*; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D053739:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Receptor alpha Subunit; D018005:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide