Intra-Ocular Pressure and Morphological Changes of the Trabecular Meshwork Cells After Ultraviolet A/ Riboflavin Corneal Crosslinking

Abstract

The current study aimed to investigate the intra-ocular pressure (IOP) and morphological variations in trabecular meshwork (TM) cells from rabbit eye followed being treated with ultraviolet A/riboflavin corneal crosslinking (CXL) onto the TM area, by which to further verify the possibility of applying TM CXL onto the treatment of glaucoma in clinics in the future. Rabbits were randomly classified into the 3 groups, such as blank control, negative control, and treated groups. Afterwards, we carried out the measurement of IOP with schiotz tonometer and morphological evaluation of the TM cells via light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy before and after CXL within 12 weeks. No statistical significance was found between blank control group and negative control group as for the interspace area of TM cells, cell density of TM cells or IOP in the current study. In comparison to blank control group, interspace area in TM cells declined on day (D) 1 after CXL, followed by a significant increase within the following follow-ups from week (W) 1 to W12, and reached a stable situation on W2. Compared to the blank control group, the cell density of TM cells declined on D1 after CXL, followed by a slight increase within the following follow-ups from W1 to W12, and reached a stable situation on W2. Meanwhile, compared with the blank control group, the IOP increased on D1 after CXL, followed by a slight decrease within the following follow-ups from W1 to W12, and reached a stable situation on W2. In conclusion, the present study revealed an important decrease on IOP and predominant enlargement in the interspace area of TM cells after CXL when in comparison to blank control group, which implies the possibility of applying CXL for the treatment of glaucoma in clinics.