SAFETY OF THE SCLERAL CROSSLINKING WITH RIBOFLAVIN AND ULTRAVIOLET A (UVA) FOR OCULAR STRUCTURES IN EXPERIMENT

Abstract

Purpose. To evaluate a safety of the scleral crosslinking with riboflavin/ultraviolet A for the structures of the eye in vivo.Material and methods. The study was conducted in 9 Chinchilla rabbits (18 eyes). Right eyes underwent the crosslinking procedure, left eyes were used as a control. Scleral crosslinking was performed according to an original technique through a small (about 1cm) paralimbal incision of the conjunctiva and Tenon’s capsule. Upper nasal sector of the sclera was saturated with 0.1% aqueous solution of riboflavin mononucleotide for 20 minutes. Irradiation with 3mW/cm² ultraviolet A was carried out within 30 minutes. Laboratory animals were killed 1 day, 1 week and 1 month after the surgery (3 rabbits for each period). The condition of irradiated portions of the sclera with adjacent inner layers and a part of the superior oblique muscle, as well as the optic nerve were evaluated using the light microscopy (hematoxylin-eosin staining).Results. The inflammatory reaction was observed in the cross-linked sclera and extraocular muscle 1 day after the procedure. It was transient and disappeared completely in the sclera 1 week later and in the muscle – 1 month after the surgery. There were no signs of tissue damage in the retina and optic nerve of the treated eyes.Conclusions. These parameters of the scleral crosslinking are safe for the structures of the eye. In the future this method could be applied in the clinic to enhance the biomechanical strength of the scleral tissue in progressive myopia.

Keywords

• crosslinking
• sclera
• rabbit
• histology
• light microscopy
• myopia