[Corneal epithelial wound healing in the denervated eye]

We investigated the rate of corneal epithelial wound healing in rabbits which had undergone surgical trigeminal denervation. Seven New Zealand albino rabbits underwent unilateral neurotomy of postganglionic trigeminal nerves via intracranial route. At 14 days after operation, 10 mm diameter central corneal epithelial defects were created in both eyes by n-heptanol. The area of epithelial defect was then photographed at 12-hour intervals and the epithelial healing rate was calculated (1st experiment). At 14 days after epithelial wound closure, the corneal epithelium was again denuded in a similar fashion (2nd experiment). The epithelial healing rate of the denervated and control eyes respectively were 1.28 +/- 0.25 and 1.39 +/- 0.31 (mm2/hr) in the first experiment, and 1.05 +/- 0.20 and 1.44 +/- 0.22 (mm2/hr) in the second. There was a statistically significant difference in the epithelial healing rate between the two groups in experiment 2 (p < 0.05), These results indicate that corneal epithelial wound healing is impaired in the denervated eye.