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Development of novel corneal storage medium: first report. Examinations of rabbit cornea
Atsuko Tachibana1, Mitsuru Sawa
1Department of Ophthalmology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
Purpose:
To develop a new corneal storage medium with a simple formula and evaluate it by histological methods.
Methods:
Two corneal storage media containing minimum essential medium and 2.5% chondroitin sulfate (pH 7.33), with osmolarity of 320 mOsm/kg, were compared to Optisol-GS. The differences in the two media were the molecular weight (MW) and the source of chondroitin sulfate. The MW of Medium I was 27,500 and the MW of Medium II was 33,700. Japanese albino rabbits were used in this study. A cornea with scleral rim obtained from a rabbit was stored in either Medium I or Medium II and the fellow cornea was stored in Optisol-GS for 7 or 14 days at 4 degrees C. Histological examination of corneal endothelial cells was performed both by scanning electron microscopy and by transmission electron microscopy.
Results:
At day 7, there was no significant difference in histological findings among the rabbit corneas stored in Optisol-GS, Medium I, or Medium II. At day 14, corneas stored in Optisol-GS or Medium I showed similar histological findings. In Medium II, endothelial cells showed marked degeneration.
Conclusions:
The results of experiments with rabbit cornea indicated that Optisol-GS and Medium I could preserve endothelial cellular structure better than Medium II. The difference between Medium I and Medium II was only the MW of the chondroitin sulfate used. The MW may be an important factor for determining suitable chondroitin sulfate for use in a corneal storage medium.
