Proteoglycan changes during restoration of transparency in corneal scars.

Corneal scars generated in rabbits by penetrating wounds are initially opaque but become transparent within a year. Previous studies have shown that the corneal stroma consists of proteoglycans and collagen fibrils spaced at regular intervals and that the interfibrillar spaces, the presumed location of proteoglycans, are abnormally large in opaque scars. In the present study, the size and glycosaminoglycan composition of the corneal stromal proteoglycans were determined in corneal scars during the restoration of transparency. The results showed that initially opaque scars which contained the large interfibrillar spaces also contained unusually large chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans with glycosaminoglycan side chains of normal size. These opaque scars also lacked the keratan sulfate proteoglycan but did contain hyaluronic acid. In the 1-year-old scars there was a restoration of normal interfibrillar spacing, and a return to corneal stromal proteoglycans of normal size and composition. These correlations suggest that the corneal stromal proteoglycans may play a fundamental role in regulating corneal collagen fibril spacing.