Implantation of track-etched membranes covered by prenatal stromal cells for experimental bullous keratopathy treatment

Abstract

A study on the use of track etched membranes (TM) based on the polyethylene terephthalate (PET), including those modified with cold plasma, followed by layering of prenatal stromal cell (PSC) culture on the material surface in vitro in the surgical treatment of a bullous keratopathy (BK) of the cornea has been conducted. The study was conducted on 16 Sylvilagus bachmani rabbits, which after BK modelling were divided into 4 groups: the 1st group was a control group of 4 animals (4 eyes); the 2nd group was a group of 4 animals (4 eyes) which were implanted by TM; the 3rd group was a group of 4 animals (4 eyes) which were implanted by TM with cells; the 4th group was a group of 4 animals (4 eyes) which were implanted by plasma modified TM with cells. TM was obtained by irradiating PET with 40Ar+8 ions and subsequent chemical etching. Eyes were enucleated for histological examination after 8 weeks from the start of the experiment. As a result of the research, it was found that the implantation of TM with a preliminary layering of human PSC promotes the growth of the fibroblast population in the cornea stroma and forming of the leukocyte (lymphocytic and eosinophilic-basophilic) infiltration compared with the implantation of TM without a cellular component. In addition the implantation of TM contributes to a twofold decrease in the induced by BK cornea edema.