【Animal Modeling】-Animal Model of Epikeratology Lens Surgery

  (1) Copy method 4-5 kg rhesus monkey, diameter 8 mm, -10.00D surface corneal lens is made of human corneal material, other corneal materials are flat lenses or directly use the anterior corneal layer as an implant. .Surgery: Use a round filter paper with a diameter of 7 mm soaked in absolute ethanol or 4% Cain to remove the animal’s corneal epithelium to form a 6.0 mm round implant bed capsule. Use 9-0 nylon suture and intermittent 4-needle suture. A superficial corneal lens with a diameter of 8 mm was fixed by continuous suture with 14-16 stitches of 10-0 nylon thread.

  (2) Model features After the operation, the cornea of the model animal had mild edema, which became clear one week later, and the epithelium was completely covered 4 to 6 days after the operation. The corneal thickness of the animal increased after the operation and remained stable after 3 months. For eyes with myopia, the refractive power of the cornea will be greatly reduced after surgery. The optical microscope showed that the blood supply to the central part of the cornea of the operated eye was about half. The donor and recipient have recovered well. The stromal cells of the lens are evenly distributed and the entire layer is visible. There are 5-6 layers of epithelial cells, and the epithelium and anterior elastic membrane are intact. The epithelial cells at the donor-recipient junction were basically normal, and the number of corneal cells increased. All donors and recipients of human monkey surface corneal lens surgery for two years have polygonal corneal epithelial cells. There is a clear difference between dark and bright cells, and microvilli are found on the surface of epithelial cells. The 1-month-old human monkey group and the 8-month-old monkey group had polygonal epithelial cells at the donor site of the surgical skin, and there was no difference between black cells and light cells. The former has no microvilli, while the latter has microvilli.

  (3) Comparative medical superficial corneal surgery. It is mainly used for monocular dysplasia, high myopia, severe keratoconus and some corneal thinning diseases. The characteristics of this model indicate that monkeys are excellent experimental animals for establishing surface corneal lenses. This is mainly due to the high histocompatibility of monkeys and humans and the intact anterior elastic membrane. Cryolysis causes cell death, leaving only the layered structure of collagen fibers. After the operation, the recipient's peripheral corneal epithelium and stromal cells enter, the superficial corneal lens survives, and rejection is greatly reduced. In fact, the reasons why it is difficult to establish a superficial corneal endoscopy in rabbits and dogs are the lack or incompleteness of the anterior elastic membrane and the poor growth of the epithelial coating after the operation. Corneal tissue is easily lost. The successful establishment of an animal model of superficial corneal surgery requires attention to the tightness of the tissue structure of the donor and recipient cornea, refractive parameters, and a high degree of histocompatibility. The donor cornea is sufficient. The thickness is easy to remove; the cornea includes the anterior elastic membrane. The model established by this method is simple, effective, and has practical research value.