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Enzyme histochemistry of corneal wound healing
J. Cejková
Department of Eye Histochemistry, Institute of Experimental
Medicine, Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
Offprint requests to: Professor
Jitka Cejková, MD, PhD., DSc, Head, Department of Eye Histochemistry,
Institute of Experimental Medicine, Videnská 1083, 14220 Prague 4,
Czech Republic
Summary. The usefulness of
enzyme histochemical methods for the localization of enzymes as catalysts
of molecular interactions in the cells and tissues of healing corneal wounds
is shown in rabbits. The current data on corneal wound healing in humans
as well as in rabbits with particular reference to serine proteases are
reviewed. Some inflammatory mediators are also discussed. Plasmin is a serine
protease which is absent (or present only in very low concentration) in
the tear fluid, and its activity appears under various pathological conditions
in humans or following experimental injuries in rabbits. The role of increasing
plasmin activity in the tear fluid in the depending upon the severity of
corneal injury is evaluated. Great attention is devoted to conditions leading
to long-lasting elevated levels of plasmin activity in the tear fluid correlated
with corneal ulceration. The differences between the histochemical pattern
of untreated corneas or corneas treated with some serine protease inhibitors
are shown, and the efficacy of these drugs is discussed in light of present
knowledge. Histol Histopathol 13, 553-564 (1998)
Key words: Cornea, Enzymes,
Histochemistry, Wounds, Healing
DOI: 10.14670/HH-13.553
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