Abstract
Purpose:
To investigate the wound healing process of corneal endothelial cells (CECs) from chemically induced corneal endothelial injury.
Methods:
The anterior chambers of eyes from New Zealand white rabbits were injected with 0.1 mL of 0.05 N NaOH for 10 min (NaOH group). Corneal edema was evaluated at day 1, 7, and 14 after endothelial injury. Vital staining was performed using alizarin red and trypan blue.
Results:
In the animal study, corneal edema was greater in the NaOH group compared to that in the control group at both day 1 and day 7. At day 1, no CECs were detected in the center and the periphery of the corneas in the NaOH group. One week after injury, large and non-hexagonal CECs were detected in peripheral corneas, but no cells were detected in central corneas. Two weeks after injury, small, hexagonal CECs were detected in the peripheral cornea, while in the mid-periphery, CECs were large and non-hexagonal.
Conclusions:
CECs migrated from the periphery to the center of the cornea after endothelial injury. The peripheral corneal endothelium may act as a cell reservoir for the recovery of corneal endothelium.