Corneal blood staining. An animal model

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Histopathology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Corneal blood staining is a known complication in ophthalmology.
• The precise mechanisms and cellular involvement in corneal blood staining remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a rabbit model of corneal blood staining.
• To investigate the histopathological and histochemical changes associated with corneal blood staining.
• To analyze the biochemical components of stained corneas.

Main Methods:

• Autologous blood injection into the anterior chamber of rabbit corneas.
• Induction and maintenance of elevated intraocular pressure.
• Histopathological and histochemical analysis of corneal tissues.
• Spectrophotometric analysis of corneal specimens.

Main Results:

• Corneal edema developed within 3 days, followed by red and then brown discoloration.
• Histopathology revealed endothelial swelling, stromal edema, and intracellular hemoglobin/hemosiderin in keratocytes.
• Spectrophotometry detected porphyrins, oxyhemoglobin (red stain), and methemoglobin (brown stain).

Conclusions:

• Endothelial degeneration uniformly accompanies corneal blood staining in this model.
• Keratocytes actively participate in the degradation of hemoglobin.
• The findings provide insight into the pathophysiology of corneal blood staining.