The comparative safety of genipin versus UVA-riboflavin crosslinking of rabbit corneas

作者：Song, Wenjing; Tang, Yun; Qiao, Jing; Li, Haili; Rong, Bei; Yang, Songlin; Wu, Yuan; Yan, Xiaoming^*

来源：Molecular Vision, 2017, 23: 504-513.

• PROGRESSIVE KERATOCONUS
• BIOADHESIVES
• KERATOCYTES
• LIVER

Purpose: To investigate, after 24 h, the safety of genipin or ultraviolet A (UVA)-riboflavin crosslinking of keratocytes and endothelial cells.
Methods: Fifteen New Zealand white rabbits were selected and divided into a PBS group (five rabbits), a 0.2% genipin crosslinking (GP-CXL) group (five rabbits), and a UVA-riboflavin crosslinking (UVA-CXL) group (five rabbits). In the GP-CXL and PBS groups, 0.2% genipin or PBS was applied to the corneal surface of the right eyes. In the UVA-CXL group, a clinical crosslinking procedure was used. Before and after surgery, the operated eyes of each group were characterized with confocal microscopy, and the corneal buttons were excised for endothelium staining and electron microscopy.
Results: The corneal endothelial cell density of the GP-CXL, UVA-CLX, and PBS groups changed. There was a statistically significant difference in thickness and changes in corneal endothelial cell density between the UVA-CXL group and the PBS group (p<0.05), and between the UVA-CXL group and the GP-CXL group (p<0.05), but no statistically significant difference between the GP-CXL group and the PBS group. Confocal microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that there was keratocyte apoptosis in the anterior and middle stroma and endothelial cell damage in the UVA-CXL group. In the GP-CXL group, only active keratocytes were found and minimal endothelial cell damage.
Conclusions: Treatment of rabbit corneas with 0.2% genipin showed minimal toxicity toward keratocytes and endothelial cells. Genipin is safer than UVA-CXL for crosslinking of thin corneas.

• 出版日期2017-7-22
• 单位北京大学