Cat xenogeneic lamellar keratoplasty for reconstruction of corneal surface after severe corneal alkali burn in rabbits

Objective To investigate the efficacy of fresh cat xenogeneic lamellar keratoplasty for severe corneal alkali burn in right eyes of rabbits.Methods The severe corneal alkali burn models were made in right eyes of 16 New Zealand white male rabbits with 5 months old,and were randomly divided into two groups,8 rabbits in each group.Group A was treated with cat xenogeneic anterior lamellar keratoplasty(4 cats) onto rabbits;The diameter of graft was 11.0 mm,the diameter of implanting bed was 10.0 mm.Group B was without any treatment.About 500 g·L-1 glucose and compound chloramphenicol were used to drop eyes of rabbits in Group A after operation and rabbits in Group B after modeling.Curative indices of two groups were recorded,corneal pathology and scanning electron microscope were taken at postoperative 1 month,2 months and 3 months,respectively.Results Within 3 months after cat xenogeneic anterior lamellar keratoplasty,7 rabbits were with transparent transplanted corneas,1 rabbit with localized corneal opacity and corneal neovascularization in 8 rabbits of Group A with corneal alkali burn;Eight rabbits were with keratoleukoma,4 rabbits with neovascularization,3 rabbits with corneal ulcer and perforation,1 rabbit with corneal melting and perforation and 4 rabbits with symblepharon in Group B.There were significant differences in average curative indices between the two groups at postoperative 1 month,2 months and 3 months,respectively(all P0.05).Histology and electron microscopy revealed the structural characteristics of normal corneas were clear in Group A;But there were obvious corneal edema and inflammatory cell infiltration in Group B,histology and scanning electron microscope revealed the disarrangement or even disappearance of corneal structure.Scanning electron microscope indicated that the corneal epithelial cells were partly grown,increased and arranged disorderly,and the epithelial cell junction was poor;The corneal endothelial cells were significantly reduced or even disappeared,the endothelial cell junction was in mess or disappeared with the extension of time in Group B.Conclusions Fresh cat xenogeneic anterior lamellar keratoplasty onto rabbit corneas with severe alkali burn can reduce inflammatory responses,prevent the occurrence of serious complications,maintain the ocular surface structure and obtain some optical therapeutic effects to a certain degree.