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Density of corneal endothelial cells and corneal thickness in eyes of euthanatized horses.
Abstract: To determine density of corneal endothelial cells and corneal thickness in eyes of euthanatized horses. Methods: 52 normal eyes from 26 horses. Methods: Eyes were enucleated after horses were euthanatized. Eyes were examined to determine that they did not have visible ocular defects. Noncontact specular microscopy was used to determine density of corneal endothelial cells. Corneal thickness was measured, using ultrasonic pachymetry or specular microscopy. Results: Mean density of corneal endothelial cells was 3,155 cells/mm2. Cell density decreased with age, but sex did not affect cell density. Values did not differ significantly between right and left eyes from the same horse. Cell density of the ventral quadrant was significantly less than cell density of the medial and temporal quadrants. Mean corneal thickness was 893 microm. Sex or age did not affect corneal thickness. Dorsal and ventral quadrants were significantly thicker than the medial and temporal quadrants and central portion of the cornea. We did not detect a correlation between corneal thickness and density of endothelial cells in normal eyes of horses. Conclusions: Density of corneal endothelial cells decreases with age, but corneal thickness is not affected by age or sex in normal eyes of horses. The technique described here may be useful for determining density of endothelial cells in the cornea of enucleated eyes. This is clinically relevant for analyzing corneal donor tissue prior to harvest and use for corneal transplantation.
Publication Date: 2001-05-01 PubMed ID: 11327451DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.2001.62.479Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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This research paper investigates the density of corneal endothelial cells and corneal thickness in the eyes of euthanized horses, revealing that cell density decreases with age but is not affected by sex while corneal thickness is not influenced by age or sex. The findings may be useful in determining endothelial cell density in corneal donor tissue for transplantation.
Research Methodology
- The research involved a sample size of 52 normal eyes from 26 euthanized horses. The specimen eyes were carefully selected to ensure they did not have visible ocular defects.
- A noncontact specular microscopy procedure was used to ascertain the density of the corneal endothelial cells in the eyes.
- The thickness of the cornea was measured using either ultrasonic pachymetry or specular microscopy.
Research Findings
- The average density of the corneal endothelial cells was found to be 3,155 cells/mm2.
- It was observed that the cell density decreased as the age of the horses increased. However, the sex of the horses made no significant impact on the cell density.
- The results were consistent between both eyes of the same horse, with no significant differences noted.
- The cell density of the ventral quadrant was significantly less than that of the medial and temporal quadrants.
- Corneal thickness was calculated to be on average 893 micrometers. Again, neither age nor sex had a notable effect on this parameter.
- Comparatively, the dorsal and ventral quadrants were noticeably thicker than the medial, temporal quarters and the central portion of the cornea.
- No direct correlation was found between corneal thickness and density of endothelial cells in the normal eyes of horses.
Conclusions and Implications
- The density of corneal endothelial cells decreases with the increasing age of horses but is not affected by the sex. Meanwhile, corneal thickness isn’t influenced by either age or sex in normal eyes of horses.
- The method used here could be beneficial in determining the density of endothelial cells in the cornea of enucleated eyes. This is especially significant for conducting corneal donor tissue analysis prior to harvesting for corneal transplantation.
Cite This Article
APA
Andrew SE, Ramsey DT, Hauptman JG, Brooks DE.
(2001).
Density of corneal endothelial cells and corneal thickness in eyes of euthanatized horses.
Am J Vet Res, 62(4), 479-482.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.2001.62.479 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610-0126, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Cell Count
- Cornea / anatomy & histology
- Cornea / physiology
- Epithelium, Corneal / cytology
- Epithelium, Corneal / physiology
- Female
- Horses / anatomy & histology
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Sex Factors
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Knickelbein KE, Lassaline ME, Kim S, Scharbrough MS, Thomasy SM. Corneal thickness and anterior chamber depth of the normal adult horse as measured by ultrasound biomicroscopy. Vet Ophthalmol 2022 May;25 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):17-24.
- Soueid Y, Baransy S, Goncharov Y, Keinan Y, Sebbag L. Canine corneal endothelial cell analysis using vital dyes and light microscopy. Vet Ophthalmol 2025 Jul;28(4):675-682.
- Azevedo MG, Méndez NP, Cargnin LS, Rocha RS, Seibel MP, da Silva AF, Pigatto JAT. Specular microscopy of the corneal endothelial cells of bovines: an ex vivo study. Open Vet J 2023 Dec;13(12):1554-1561.
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