A METHOD FOR SEPARATION AND STAINING OF FLAT MOUNTS OF HUMAN CORNEAL ENDOTHELIUM

A technique is described in which sheets of corneal endothelium are re moved from human donor corneo-scleral discs, Celloidin solution was ap plied to the endothelial surface, allowed to dry peeled off with the a ttached endothelial cell layer and mounted on a glass slide. Following removal of the celloidin with acetone, this endothelial cell flat mou nt was then stained with H&E and monoclonal antibodies to cell adhesio n molecules, A pilot study of endothelial cell adhesion molecule expre ssion in flat mount preparations of 14 corneas showed constitutive neu ral cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) expression, but a lower degree of fo cal expression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, vascular c ell adhesion molecule (VACM)-1, P/E-selectin and HLA-DR.