Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To study the exchange of cells in normal or DAPI injected corneal transplants in DAPI treated or normal host rabbits Methods: 8 normal rabbits received cornea transplants treated with a fluorescence dye, DAPI, (30–40 ng DAPI/day for 2 consecutive days injected into the anterior eye chamber). Another 8 were treated with DAPI (30–40 ng DAPI/days for 2 consecutive days injected into the anterior eye chamber), and subsequently received cornea transplants from untreated rabbits. Two animals from each group were sacrificed after 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks. The anterior segments were frozen, sectioned in a cryostat and analysed by fluorescence microscopy. Results: Already after one week, migration of DAPI cells could be seen into the normal host cornea and vice versa. The results persisted at two weeks. Conclusions: DAPI can be used as a marker for corneal cell migration (epitheliums and keratocytes), remaining in situ for several weeks in vivo. Host stromal cells and epithelial cells were seen to invade the transplant for several tenths of millimetres. Similarly, graft stromal and epithelial cells invaded the host cornea, although to a lesser extent.
Keywords: cornea: basic science • transplantation