Expression of tenascin and fibronectin in the rabbit cornea after excimer laser surgery

In order to investigate the effects of excimer laser surgery on corneal wound healing, 25 rabbits underwent anterior keratectomy at a depth of 100 or 300 microns with a Meditec MEL 50 excimer laser. After various intervals the animals were killed and the cornea excised and investigated immunohistochemically for the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, fibronectin and tenascin. Fibronectin was shown to occur earlier than tenascin, and the two also had different distribution patterns. Wound depth showed no clear effect on the localization and time of ECM protein expression. This study indicates that corneal wounds caused by excimer laser radiation and those caused by mechanical surgery differ as to healing mechanisms.