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The influence of various toxic effects on the cornea and changes in corneal light transmission

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Abstract

Purpose

Normal corneal hydration is necessary for the maintenance of corneal transparency. Damage of the corneal epithelium or endothelium by various external influences disturbs the mechanism by which the cornea maintains normal hydration and transparency. The cornea swells, and the corneal thickness increases, resulting in increased scatter and the development of corneal opacity. The transmission of light across the cornea is changed. The purpose of this study is to investigate spectrophotometrically the corneal light transmission under the influence of the various factors affecting the cornea.

Methods

We developed a spectrophotometric method to measure the light transmission across the cornea under the influence of various factors affecting the cornea, such as treatment with 0.9% NaCl, saline, or phosphate buffered saline (PBS), solutions employed as placebo eye drops (negative controls) in experimental studies, agents toxic to the cornea, such as diluted acids or alkalis. The method distinguishes between changes in corneal light transmission caused by altered corneal thickness (the level of hydration) and changes resulting from other corneal disturbances which in turn affect corneal light transmission.

Results

The results obtained show that the corneal light transmission is decreased following the application of toxic substances on the corneal surface. This decrease is highly dependent on the severity of the corneal injury evoked by individual noxes, and the resulting changes in corneal hydration and transparency.

Conclusions

The influence of various influences applied to the cornea, manifested as changes in corneal light transmission, can be measured using our spectrophotometric method with a high degree of sensitivity.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Financial support

Supported by a grant from the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic AVOZ50390512.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Eye Histochemistry and Pharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Center of Excellence, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Vídeňská 1083, 14220, Prague 4, Czech Republic

    Čestmír Čejka, Taras Ardan & Jitka Čejková

  2. Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Department of Hydrogels for Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovského Square, Prague 5, Czech Republic

    Jakub Širc & Jiří Michálek

  3. Eye Clinic for Children and Adults, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague 5, Motol, Czech Republic

    Čestmír Čejka & Blanka Brůnová

Authors
  1. Čestmír Čejka
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  2. Taras Ardan
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  3. Jakub Širc
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  4. Jiří Michálek
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  5. Blanka Brůnová
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  6. Jitka Čejková
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Correspondence to Jitka Čejková.

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Supported by a grant from the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic AVOZ50390512.

The authors have full control of all primary data and agree to allow Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthal to review their data upon request.

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Čejka, Č., Ardan, T., Širc, J. et al. The influence of various toxic effects on the cornea and changes in corneal light transmission. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 248, 1749–1756 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-010-1438-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-010-1438-2

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