[Keratocyte activity in wound healing process following epikeratophakia in rabbits].

Epikeratophakia is a refractive surgery for the correction of aphakia, high myopia and keratoconus. Although many clinical studies of epikeratophakia have been performed, its wound healing process is not well understood. In the present study, we investigated keratocyte activities, particularly cell proliferation and collagen synthesis activity, during wound healing following epikeratophakia in rabbit corneas. Ten, 16, 28, 45, 63 and 90 days after the operation, corneas were excised, labeled with either 3H-thymidine (10 microCi/ml) or 3H-proline (10 microCi/ml) in DME for 4 hours and examined histologically, and by autoradiography. Ten days after the operation, almost no cells were seen in the keratolens except for a few keratocytes which had migrated to the edge of the keratolens. At days 16 and 28, keratocytes in the keratolens and in the host stroma near the junction between the host and the keratolens incorporated 3H-thymidine, suggesting active proliferation. The proliferating activity was no longer seen at days 45, 63 and 90. At day 90, almost complete repopulation with keratocytes was observed. Keratocytes in the keratolens and in the host stroma beneath the keratolens showed higher activity of 3H-proline incorporation than those in the control from day 16 through day 90 with the highest activity at day 28.