In vitro endothelial healing of heat injuries of the posterior cornea in rabbits.

UNLABELLED

It was examined whether the healing promoting effect of Descemet's membrane on posterior corneal defects depends on heat labile molecules in the membrane. Localized thermal burns were produced by touching the posterior surface of rabbit corneas with a heated probe. This resulted in an endothelial defect, which was surrounded by a border of heat impaired, but living cells. The abnormal cells delayed the healing process by excerting contact inhibition on the surrounding undamaged endothelium. If the border of impaired cells was avoided by placing the 2 mm heat burn inside a 4 mm freeze erosion of the endothelium, the healing process was uninfluenced by the heat treatment.

CONCLUSION

heat labile molecules in Descemet's membrane are not prerequisites for the healing promoting effect of the membrane on endothelial defects.