Wound healing following refractive surgery in hens

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Corneal Biology
• Wound Healing Research

Background:

• Refractive surgery outcomes depend on wound healing.
• Understanding corneal injury pathophysiology is crucial.
• Animal models provide controlled research environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the hen cornea's healing process post-photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).
• To analyze clinical, biophysical, and biological changes during corneal healing.
• To evaluate the hen as a model for refractive surgery and corneal injury studies.

Main Methods:

• Photorefractive keratectomy (-6.0 diopters) performed on hen eyes.
• Clinical follow-up, light transmittance, apoptosis (TUNEL assay), proliferation (BrdU analysis), and alpha-SMA expression assessed at multiple time points.
• Analysis conducted from 3 hours to 60 days post-surgery.

Main Results:

• Rapid corneal reepithelialization observed in hens.
• Corneal haze developed between 5 and 60 days, correlating with alpha-SMA expression.
• Light transmittance was reduced initially, improving by 30-60 days post-PRK.
• Apoptosis peaked early, while epithelial and stromal proliferation occurred at distinct intervals.
• Alpha-SMA expression in myofibroblasts was noted during haze development.

Conclusions:

• The hen cornea exhibits rapid healing post-PRK, with haze formation linked to myofibroblast differentiation.
• The hen cornea serves as a suitable anatomical and physiological model for studying corneal wound healing.
• Findings support the hen model for evaluating surgical techniques and pharmacological interventions in corneal repair.