Wound healing in rabbit corneas after flapless refractive lenticule extraction with a 345 nm ultraviolet femtosecond laser

Hammer CM, Petsch C, Klenke J, Skerl K, Wuellner C, Donitzky C, Paulsen F, Scholz M, Seiler T, Kruse F, Menzel-Severing J (2017)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2017

Journal

Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Elsevier

Book Volume: 43

Pages Range: 1335-1342

Journal Issue: 10

DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrs.2017.07.034

Abstract

PURPOSE: To characterize corneal wound healing in a rabbit model after flapless refractive lenticule extraction with a 345 nm ultraviolet femtosecond laser. SETTING: Departments of Ophthalmology and Anatomy II, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg and Wavelight GmbH, Erlangen, Germany. DESIGN: Experimental study. METHODS: Flapless refractive lenticule extraction was performed in 1 eye each of 20 New Zealand white rabbits (-5.0 diopters). Groups of 4 animals were euthanized after 48 hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 3 months, respectively. Corneal samples were prepared for histology and fluorescence microscopy. To assess corneal cell death, proliferation, and myofibroblastic transdifferentiation, terminal uridine deoxynucleotidyl nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay as well as immunostaining for Ki67 and α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) were performed on sagittal cryosections. RESULTS: Histology revealed a zone of keratocyte depletion with a thickness of approximately 50 μm around the extraction site. At 48 hours, pronounced TUNEL staining of keratocytes was detected around the interface (159.9 cells/mm ± 18.4 [SD]), which steadily decreased to 74.9 ± 19.8 cells/mm at 1 week and 5.7 ± 4.8 cells/mm at 2 weeks. Ki67 staining of keratocytes was evident at 48 hours (10.0 ± 3.8 cells/mm), which then decreased at 1 week (5.2 ± 1.7 cells/mm) and 2 weeks (0.4 ± 0.5 cells/mm). From 4 weeks onward, no TUNEL or Ki67 staining was detected. The corneal stroma was αSMA-negative at all timepoints. CONCLUSION: Application of the 345 nm laser showed no signs of problematic repair processes in the cornea, which supports the initiation of the clinical phase.

Authors with CRIS profile

Friedrich Paulsen Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle und Klinische Anatomie Michael Scholz Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle und Klinische Anatomie Friedrich Kruse Lehrstuhl für Augenheilkunde Johannes Menzel-Severing Department of Ophthalmology

Involved external institutions

WaveLight GmbH

Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Hammer, C.M., Petsch, C., Klenke, J., Skerl, K., Wuellner, C., Donitzky, C.,... Menzel-Severing, J. (2017). Wound healing in rabbit corneas after flapless refractive lenticule extraction with a 345 nm ultraviolet femtosecond laser. Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, 43(10), 1335-1342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrs.2017.07.034

MLA:

Hammer, Christian M., et al. "Wound healing in rabbit corneas after flapless refractive lenticule extraction with a 345 nm ultraviolet femtosecond laser." Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 43.10 (2017): 1335-1342.