Expression of collagen I and collagen III in rabbit eyelid with silk fibroin membrane for tarsal repair in eyelid reconstruction

Abstract

Objective To study the expression of collagen Ⅰ and collagen Ⅲ in rabbit eyelid with silk fibroin membrane for tarsal repair in eyelid reconstruction and to investigate the healing mechanism of eyelid reconstruction with silk fibroin membrane.Methods Thirty-six healthy New Zealand white rabbits were randomly assigned into group with silk fibroin membrane and group with allogeneic sclera.Tarsal defects were created in all the right upper eyelids in both groups,and repaired by silk fibroin membrane in group with silk fibroin membrane and by allogenic sclera material in group with allogeneic sclera.All the left eyes were as normal controls.Histological examination by HE staining were performed on 1 week,2 weeks and 4 weeks after surgery.The expressions of collagen Ⅰ and collagen Ⅲ in eyelids were detected by immunohistochemical method.Results All the eyelid defects showed a primary healing.There were more inflammatory cells infiltrating in the sclera group than in the silk fibroin group.By immunohistochemical method,the sort order of the expression of collagen Ⅰ in eyelid was the sclera group ＞ the silk fibroin group ＞ the normal control group(1 week:F =19.586,P ＜ 0.01 ; 2 weeks:F =30.04 1,P ＜ 0.01 ; 4 weeks:F =32.587,P ＜ 0.01).The sort order of the expression of collagen Ⅲ in eyelid was the sclera group ＞ the silk fibroin group ＞ the normal control group (1 week:F =19.220,P ＜ 0.01 ; 2 weeks:F =39.414,P ＜ 0.01 ; 4 weeks:F =49.680,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion The expression of collagen Ⅰ and collagen Ⅲ in rabbit eyelid with silk fibroin membrane for tarsal repair were less than that with allogenic sclera material.Silk fibrobin membran can be used for eyelid reconstruction with less healing response. Key words: Defect,eyelid ; Membrane, silk, fibroin ; Sclera, allogenic ; Reconstruction, eyelid