Patruno M, Perazzi A, Martinello T, Blaseotto A, Di Iorio E, Iacopetti I
Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro - Agripolis, Padova, Italy.
Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro - Agripolis, Padova, Italy.
Vet Res Commun. 2017 Jun;41(2):169-173. doi: 10.1007/s11259-017-9676-y. Epub 2017 Jan 21.
The cornea provides protection and transparency to the eye, allowing an optimal sharpness view. In some pathological conditions the cornea is able to regenerate thanks to the presence of a stem cells reservoir present at the level of the transition area between cornea and sclera (limbus). Corneal cell therapies in Veterinary Medicine are really limited due to the lacking of knowledge about the anatomy of the limbal area, the putative presence of stem cells and their identification in domestic species. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the main distinctive structural features of the sclero-corneal junction and conjunctival-corneal junction areas in some species of veterinary importance, using optic microscope observations of histological sections. The resulting data were compared with cornea from humans adapting protocols already used to identify stem cells by means of a specific cellular marker. We tested the expression of ΔNp63α isoform in the cornea basal cells, trying to correlate the distribution profile with areas of highly proliferative turnover. The results obtained from this study represent a first step towards the identification of a corneal stem cells reservoir in different animals.
角膜为眼睛提供保护并保持透明，使视力达到最佳清晰度。在某些病理状况下，由于角膜与巩膜之间的过渡区域（角膜缘）存在干细胞库，角膜能够实现再生。在兽医学中，由于对角膜缘区域的解剖结构、假定存在的干细胞及其在驯养动物物种中的识别缺乏了解，角膜细胞疗法的应用非常有限。本研究的目的是通过对组织切片进行光学显微镜观察，概述一些具有重要兽医意义的物种中巩膜-角膜交界处和结膜-角膜交界处的主要独特结构特征。将所得数据与人类角膜进行比较，采用已用于通过特定细胞标记物识别干细胞的方案。我们检测了角膜基底细胞中ΔNp63α异构体的表达，试图将分布情况与高增殖更新区域联系起来。本研究所得结果是朝着识别不同动物角膜干细胞库迈出的第一步。
