Abstract
Purpose::
to evaluate the expression of the collagen types I, III and V in the cornea of dogs submitted to lamellar transplantation of equine glycerol preserved amniotic membrane
Methods::
a lamellar transplantation of equine glycerol preserved amniotic membrane was performed in the cornea of twelve adult, mixed breed, male or female dogs divided in groups of three animals that were sacrificed at days 2, 7, 21 and 40 days after surgery. Paraffin embedded sections obtained from the corneas were incubated with types I and V anti-collagen polyclonal rabbit antibodies and type III anti-collagen monoclonal mice antibody using pepsin for fiber digestion of heterotypic fibrils and epitope exposure
Results::
type I collagen had its expression in the stroma intensified 21 days after surgery. By day 21 the absence of collagen III in the corneal stroma showed graft remodeling, once this was formerly present in the amniotic membrane. The expression of type V fiber in the corneal stroma showed a mildly intensified expression at days 7 and 21 of observation, but returned to its normal distribution 40 days after surgery
Conclusions::
collagen types I, III and V are present in the equine amniotic membrane. The collagen type I had corneal deposition lately in the stromal healing process. By the other hand the type III had an increase in the early stage of healing and type V was increased during all healing process
Keywords: cornea: basic science • cornea: stroma and keratocytes