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[Effect of postmortem duration on endothelial cell density in short-term culture with McCarey-Kaufman medium. An
Abstract:
It is recommended by the Eye Bank Association of American that the post-mortem time of donor tissue stored in intermediate storage should not exceed 6 h. In an experimental study we investigated the impact of post-mortem time on the storage of corneas kept in McCarey-Kaufman medium. Eyeballs of freshly slaughtered pigs were kept in moist chamber storage at 4 degrees C for 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h. Subsequently, corneal-scleral rims were dissected and stored in MK-Medium for 2 days at 4 degrees C. The corneas were stored in organ culture for another 2 days at 31 degrees C in MEM medium containing 10% fetal calf serum. A control group consisted of corneas that had been stored in organ culture for 2 days. Morphometric analysis revealed no significant changes in endothelial cell density compared to control corneas after up to 24 h of moist chamber storage prior to storage in MK medium. A significant decrease in endothelial cell density could only be detected in corneas that had been kept in moist chamber storage for 48 h before MK medium storage. We conclude that the recommendation that only donor corneas with short post-mortem times be used may exclude large amounts of potentially feasible tissue for penetrating keratoplasty.
Insights
The Eye Bank Association of American recommends limiting post-mortem time for donor corneas to 6 hours. However, this study found no significant endothelial cell loss in pig corneas stored up to 24 hours, suggesting more tissue may be viable for transplantation.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Tissue Preservation
- Transplantation Biology
Context:
- Current guidelines from the Eye Bank Association of America limit post-mortem storage time for donor eye tissue to 6 hours.
- This recommendation aims to ensure the viability of corneal endothelial cells for transplantation.
- The feasibility of utilizing donor corneas with extended post-mortem times remains an area of investigation.
Purpose:
- To investigate the impact of varying post-mortem storage durations on corneal tissue viability.
- To determine the threshold for acceptable post-mortem time before significant endothelial cell degradation occurs.
- To evaluate the potential for expanding the usable donor cornea pool by reassessing current storage time recommendations.
Summary:
- Pig eyeballs were subjected to moist chamber storage at 4°C for 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours.
- Corneal-scleral rims were then stored in McCarey-Kaufman (MK) medium and subsequently in organ culture.
- Morphometric analysis assessed endothelial cell density, comparing experimental groups to a control.
Impact:
- No significant decrease in endothelial cell density was observed for post-mortem times up to 24 hours.
- A significant reduction in cell density was only found after 48 hours of initial storage.
- These findings suggest that current recommendations may be overly restrictive, potentially excluding viable donor corneas for penetrating keratoplasty.