Abstract
Purpose:
To evaluate the corneal permeability in rabbits approximately one year after corneal cross-linking (CXL).
Methods:
New Zealand white rabbits were used for the study. Control eyes were left unoperated. In cross-linked eyes, the Dresden CXL protocol was performed, including corneal epithelial removal, administration of topical riboflavin 0.1% for 30 minutes, and corneal irradiation with ultraviolet-A at a dose of 5.4 J/cm2. Between 11 and 12 months later, in vivo corneal permeability was evaluated by quantifying pupillary constriction during a 30-minute period following topical application of 100 micrograms of pilocarpine.
Results:
In control eyes, pupillary diameter decreased by a mean of 2.75 mm (n=6), while in CXL eyes the decrease was 2.25 mm (n=12), suggesting that the corneal changes induced by CXL resulted in reduced permeation of pilocarpine into the anterior chamber. However, this difference did not reach statistical significance, likely due to the small sample size.
Conclusions:
We have previously reported that CXL reduces corneal permeability, measured both in vivo and ex vivo. The current results suggest that these effects are long-lasting.
Keywords: 480 cornea: basic science •
482 cornea: epithelium