Normal and abnormal processes of cellular invasion often are initiated by degradation of basement membranes. The process of corneal ulceration might operate via similar mechanisms; degradation of the corneal stroma is not seen until after the basement membrane underlying the corneal epithelium in the preulcerative lesion is lost. Recent data implicate a member of the matrix metalloproteinase (M...

Objective: To evaluate the effect of riboflavin-ultraviolet-A-induced cross-linking (CXL) following corneal alkali burns in rabbits. Methods: The right corneas and limbi of ten rabbits were burned using a 1N solution of NaOH and the animals were then divided into two groups: a control group submitted to clinical treatment alone and an experimental group that was treated 1 h after injury with CX...

When established corneal ulcers induced by alkali burning were treated with 10% ascorbate drops, no perforation occurred, in contrast to a 25% incidence in the control group. If perforations and descemetoceles were grouped together, these difference became insignificant (i.e., 14.2% ascorbate-treated vs. 25% control). Prolongation of descemetocele presence without perforation in the ascorbate-t...

PURPOSE To report the results of one 60 degrees conjunctival limbal autograft (CLAU) combined with amniotic membrane (AM) transplantation for an eye with total limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). METHODS One eye of a patient with chronic total LSCD and symblepharon caused by chemical burn was subjected to symblepharon lysis, removal of pannus from corneal surface, AM transplantation to cover ...

Since alkaline substances can rapidly penetrate into the cornea and subsequently damage limbal stem cells, another source of stem cells may be necessary to reconstruct the ocular surface. Omentum has some such characteristics like ability to regenerate tissue as well as anti-inflammatory capacity. Presence of adult stem cells and pluripotent embryonic cell markers make it suitable in wound heal...

PURPOSE To develop a new animal model of anterior subcapsular cataract formation by topical application of alkali to the eye and to examine the role of Transforming growth factorbeta/Smad3 (TGFbeta/Smad3) signaling in the formation of this cataract model. METHODS Under anesthesia, one eye of adult Wistar rats (n=142) was subjected to alkali burn by topical application of 1 N NaOH. The eye was...