title: Role of dextran in maintaining adhesive and stiffness properties of prestripped DMEK lenticules.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the adhesive and stiffness properties of prestripped Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) lenticules in different preservation conditions (with and without dextran).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 3 conditions: (C1) tissues collected from tissue culture media (TCM), stripped and preserved in TCM; (C2) tissues collected from transport media (TM) (TCM supplemented with 6% dextran T-500), stripped and preserved in TM; and (C3) tissues collected from TCM, stripped and preserved in TM. Using a hinge, 9.5-mm stripped DMEK lenticules were restored back on the stroma and preserved for 4 days at room temperature (RT) in different conditions as above. Nine tissues, 3 from each condition, were used to check the adhesive (fibronectin, laminin, and vitronectin) and elastic properties (fibrillin, elastin, and collagen VI) using different antibodies. Six tissues, 2 from each condition, were used to check the stiffness properties after preservation using atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanoindentation method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On the Descemet membrane, fibronectin was strongly expressed in C2 and C3, whereas laminin was intense in C2 postpreservation. Vitronectin was expressed in all the conditions. Elastic proteins were not expressed in either of the conditions apart from collagen VI, which was expressed on the posterior stroma. Atomic force microscopy showed higher stiffness in C3 and an insignificant but lower rigidity in C2 as compared to C1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tissues from C2 showed expression of adherent proteins and lower stiffness. Dextran may be suitable in preservation of DMEK grafts before and after preparation. Less stiff tissues may help reduce manipulations required in the recipient eye during DMEK surgery.
authors.affiliation: International Center for Ocular Physiopathology, Fondazione Banca degli Occhi del Veneto Onlus, Venice - Italy.
authors.forename: Mohit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parekh
authors.affiliation: International Center for Ocular Physiopathology, Fondazione Banca degli Occhi del Veneto Onlus, Venice - Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruzza
authors.affiliation: Tribolab, DMMM, Politecnico di Bari, Bari - Italy.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Mundo
authors.affiliation: International Center for Ocular Physiopathology, Fondazione Banca degli Occhi del Veneto Onlus, Venice - Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.affiliation: Tribolab, DMMM, Politecnico di Bari, Bari - Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Recchia
authors.affiliation: International Center for Ocular Physiopathology, Fondazione Banca degli Occhi del Veneto Onlus, Venice - Italy.|Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Taibah University, Almadinah Almunawwarah - Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elbadawy
authors.affiliation: Tribolab, DMMM, Politecnico di Bari, Bari - Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.affiliation: International Center for Ocular Physiopathology, Fondazione Banca degli Occhi del Veneto Onlus, Venice - Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ponzin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D055954:Corneal Endothelial Cell Loss / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D003886:Descemet Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000601:surgery* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D057111:Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D003911:Dextrans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D010952:Plasma Substitutes / Q000494:pharmacology; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*; D066027:Transplant Recipients
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D003911:Dextrans; D010952:Plasma Substitutes