An inspection of the cultures clearly shows that epithelial
outgrowth from corneal (central and limbal) explants onto amniotic
membrane was considerably quicker when the amniotic epithelial cells
had been removed from the membrane before cultivation was begun
(Fig. 1) . Also, epithelial cells migrating onto amniotic membrane from limbal
explants colonize the membrane more rapidly than cells from central
explants
(Fig. 2) . Our data reveal that the area of amniotic membrane covered by
outwardly migrating epithelial cells differs considerably when cells
are grown on intact versus denuded amniotic membranes
(Fig. 2) . Also,
the areas covered by cells taken from central versus limbal regions of
the donor corneas are markedly different
(Fig. 2) . After 5 days in
culture, epithelial cells from the central corneal explants
(
n = 5) had covered 0.35 ± 0.06
mm
2 of the intact amniotic membrane compared with
60.04 ± 13.01 mm
2 of the denuded amniotic
membrane, whereas cells from the limbal explants (
n =
5) had covered 0.60 ± 0.93 mm
2 of the
intact amniotic membrane versus 59.80 ± 8.80
mm
2 of the denuded amniotic membrane. This
pattern continued, and after 14 days in culture epithelial cells from
the central corneal explants (
n = 5) had covered
1.82 ± 2.62 mm
2 of the intact amniotic
membrane as opposed to 131.83 ± 28.31 mm
2 of the denuded amniotic membrane, whereas cells from the limbal
explants (
n = 5) had covered 4.58 ± 4.56
mm
2 of the intact amniotic membrane versus
505.39 ± 134.20 mm
2 of the denuded amniotic
membrane.