Abstract
Attempts were made (1) to develop an appropriate method for producing standardizable and reproducible experimental opacities of the cornea of rats and (2) to study quantitatively the course and intensity of the healing process of these corneal wounds. The right cornea of rats was cauterized by drops of 1.5 N HCl over 30 s; the left one served as a control. The spontaneous course of wound healing, as well as the possible effect on this process of spray treatment with iodine brine or, for comparative purposes, with isotonic NaCl, was studied for 10 consecutive days by measuring the 24-h incorporation of14C-labelled proline as a measure of de novo collagen synthesis. Spray treatment (1) abolishes the transient inhibition of proline incorporation observed in the unsprayed cornea on the first day after injury and (2) significantly advances the maximum collagen synthesis rate from day 3–4 to day 2 after the wound occurred. The position and magnitude of the14C-proline incorporation peak are considered to be useful parameters for estimating corneal wound healing activity and its alteration by various agents. However, in this experimental design, it could not be proved that iodine has a specific effect.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cintron C, Kublin CL, Covington H (1982) Quantitative studies of corneal epithelial wound healing in rabbits. Curr Eye Res 1:507–516
Cohen IK, Moore CD, Diegelmann RF (1979) Onset and localization of collagen synthesis during wound healing in open rat skin. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 160:458–462
Dolynchuk KN, Bowness JM (1981) The early metabolism on non-collagenous glycoproteins during wound healing. J Surg Res 31:218–224
Lee RE, Davison PF (1981) Collagen composition and turnover in ocular tissues of the rabbit. Exp Eye Res 32:737–745
Ohrloff C, Stoffel C, Koch HR, Wefers U, Bours J, Hockwin O (1978) Experimental cataracts in rats due to tryptophan-free diet. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 205:73–79
Pfister RR, Paterson CA, Spiers JW, Hayes SA (1980) The efficacy of ascorbate treatment after severe experimental alkali burns depends upon the route of administration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 19:1526–1529
Schmut O (1977) The identification of type III collagen in calf and bovine cornea and sclera. Exp Eye Res 25:505–509
Vrabec F, Obenberger J, Vrabec J (1975) Ring-shaped alkali burns of the rabbit cornea. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 197:233–240
Welsh C, Gay S, Rhodes RK, Pfister R, Miller EJ (1980) Collagen heterogeneity in normal rabbit cornea. I. Isolation and biochemical characterization of the genetically-distinct collagens. Biochim Biophys Acta 625:78–88
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Winkler, R., Moser, M. & Rieger, G. Collagen metabolism during the healing process of the cauterized rat cornea. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 223, 150–153 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02148891
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02148891