Rabbit corneal damage produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.

Gross, light microscopic, and electron microscopic examination of the rabbit corneal destruction produced by experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections revealed a combination of acute inflammation and liquefaction necrosis of the cornea. Degeneration of the epithelial cells and the start of polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration of the cornea occurred initially. These changes were followed by loss of the epithelium, degeneration and loss of the keratocytes and endothelium, loss of the characteristic weblike pattern of the proteoglycan ground substance, dispersal of ultrastructurally normal collagen fibrils, extensive accumulation followed by degeneration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and accumulation of plasma proteins and fibrin in the necrotic cornea. Histochemical examination of the cornea suggested a loss of the proteoglycan ground substance but not of collagen. Rabbit corneas injected with Clostridium histolyticum collagenase showed gross and cellular changes similar to those observed during the pseudomonal infections; however, histochemical examination suggested a loss of collagen, and electron microscopy revealed ultrastructurally abnormal collagen fibrils. The results support the idea (i) that a bacterial or host-derived collagenase is not required for extensive corneal damage during a P. aeruginosa corneal infection, and (ii) that a P. aeruginosa corneal infection may severly damage the cornea by producing extensive corneal edema and by causing the loss of the corneal proteoglycan ground substance, thus resulting in dispersal of undamaged collagen fibrils, weakening of the cornea, and subsequent descemetocele formation and corneal perforation by the anterior chamber pressure.