Objective: To evaluate the effect of autologous limbal transplantation in the treatment of alkali-burned corneas in rabbits and assess the possible influence of this operation on the donor eye.
Methods: Animal models of alkali-burned corneas of the right eye were established in 32 rabbits, and 7 days after the injury, transplantations of the corneal limbal stem cells were per- formed, with the transplanted limbal coverage of the whole, 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 of the recipient limbal circumference respectively.
Results: Four weeks after the operation, all the 8 recipient eyes with whole circumference limbal autografting recovered normal sight, while in those receiving 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 circumference transplantation, 87.5%(7/8), 37.5%(3/8) and 0.00% (0 of 8) attained the recovery, respectively. The donor eyes with wholly circumferential resection of the limbal all had epithelial erosion, pseudopterygium lesions and neovascularization, and among those with 3/4 and 1/2 exsection, 75%(6/8) and 12.5%(1/8) developed the lesions, while 1/4 exsection did not affect the final healing of the donor eyes.
Conclusion: Corneal limbal stem cells autografting is effective for treating alkali-burned corneas, but no more than 1/2 circumference resection of the donor cornea is recommended for the smooth healing of the donor eye after the operation.