Binding of peanut agglutinin on fresh and organ-cultured porcine corneal tissue.

To investigate the binding of peanut-agglutinin (PNA) on porcine corneal tissue, several methods of tissue processing were used. In cryostat sections of postmortem tissue, PNA labeling of epithelial cell membranes was detected. In the stroma, a fibrillar structure parallel to the corneal surface was found. The anterior part of Descemet's membrane was strongly positive, whereas the posterior Descemet membrane was negative. The endothelium was faintly positive. After 3 days of organ culture, the epithelial and endothelial staining patterns were not significantly changed. The stromal fibrils detected by PNA staining showed a considerable spatial disarrangement due to the stromal hydration.