Regeneration of corneal endothelium following complete endothelial cell loss in rat keratoplasty.

Abstract

Re-endothelialization following keratoplasty takes place in the rat in vivo and restores graft clarity, following both immunological or surgical destruction of ECs. Following rejection, EC replacement is accompanied by a reduction of immune infiltrates. Peripheral recipient ECs are a sufficient source for graft re-endothelialization, as seen in rats following EC removal. Our results suggest that ECs both proliferate and enlarge during re-endothelialization in the rat keratoplasty model.