CATECHOLAMINERGIC NERVE-FIBERS IN NORMAL AND ALKALI-BURNED RABBIT CORNEA

Background: In recent years anatomic research has demonstrated the pre sence of various types of nerve fibre in the cornea. The purpose of th is study was to investigate the distribution of catecholaminergic fibr es in various corneal layers and to study the effects of an experiment al superficial corneal lesion on the pattern of catecholaminergic nerv e fibre distribution in the various corneal layers. Methods: Three wee ks after the creation of an alkali burn in the centre of the right cor nea of five albino rabbits, the animals were killed, and histologic se ctions from the cornea of both eyes were stained for observation of ca techolaminergic nerve fibres and photographed on black-and-white film. The photographs were examined using the Quantimet image analyser (Lei ca). Results: Catecholaminergic nerve fibres were observed in the corn eal epithelium and the deep stromal layers. Sections from injured corn ea showed a drastic reduction in epithelial and superficial stromal ca techolaminergic nerve fibres, whereas the nerve fibres in the endothel ium and deep stroma were not damaged.Interpretation: Although catechol aminergic nerve fibres were observed in all corneal layers, the patter n of catecholaminergic fibres following the creation of a superficial lesion of the cornea seems to suggest that the superficial and deep ne rve fibres may have a different distribution.