[Corneoscleral wound healing after self-sealing cataract surgery--2. Cellular proliferation]

We investigated histologically wound healing after self-sealing cataract surgery, focusing on cell proliferation. A scleral pocket and internal corneal flap were made according to Ernest's method in rabbit eyes on one side. After phacoemulcification procedure was performed, balanced salt solution (BSS plus) was injected to self-seal the wound (self-sealing group). After the same procedures were performed in the contralateral eyes, a horizontal 9.0 Nylon suture was placed in the wound (suture group). On various days after operation, the eyes were analyzed by corneal topography and enucleated. The corneo-scleral tissues were labelled with 3H-thymidine (10 microCi/ml) at 37 degrees C for 4 hr in Dulbecco's minimum essential medium, fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and subjected to autoradiography. On the first day after operation, the scleral stromal fibroblasts at the scleral side and keratocytes at the corneal side incorporated 3H-thymidine. The 3H-thymidine uptake ratio was the highest on the first day and then gradually decreased. On the seventh day after operation, this incidence was higher in the suture group than in the self-sealing group, possibly due to the influence of the suture. We suggest that the difference in cellular proliferation during wound healing between the two groups might affect late postoperative astigmatism.