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Stromal architecture and immune tolerance in additive corneal xenografts in rodents
Andrew J Quantock1, Yoichiro Sano, Robert D Young
1School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Purpose:
To examine immune tolerance and corneal ultrastructure following additive corneal xenografts in rodents.
Methods:
We carried out surgical implantation of excised BALB/c mouse corneal tissue, either freshly isolated (n=6) or after storage at--20 degrees C for 1 week (n=7), into the corneas of Wistar rats at approximately mid-stromal depth. Corneal opacity and neovascularization were evaluated postoperatively, and stromal ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy.
Results:
Corneal opacification and neovascularization in the weeks after surgery were less prevalent in grafts of frozen-then-thawed tissue than in grafts of fresh tissue. In a well tolerated frozen-then-thawed xenograft, the matrix architecture was normal throughout most of the recipient and donor tissue, but pronounced fibrillar disorganization was evident adjacent to Descemet's membrane.
Conclusion:
We attribute the improved tolerance of frozen-then-thawed xenografts over fresh xenografts to a reduced cellular immune response.
