Cryotherapeutic possibilities in the treatment of corneal burns with acid in an animal experiment. II. Histochemical study

: On 10 experimental animals (20 eyes of bastard rabbits) the authors tested the possibility to influence by cryostimulation the increase of the acid mucopolysaccharide content (glycosaminoglycans or proteoglycans) after damaging the eye with 6.0% = 1.4 N sulphuric acid. Eight corneae were subjected to cryotherapeutic treatment 4-6 hours after corrosion, by the method of contact freezing with a cryoapparatus OKG 2, using a technique which in the first part of the work had a convincing cryostimulating effect: working temperature -70 degrees C, 10 spots with a diameter of 2 mm for 7 seconds placed directly in the cornea surrounding the damaged area. As controls for both groups (corroded and cryotreated and corroded not treated) served four normal intact corneae (two animals as above). Collection of samples of the cornea was made on the 4th and 10th day after corrosion. The corneae were processed by histological methods stained with toluidine and alcian blue. It was revealed that on the 4th as well as 10th day after cryostimulation the acid mucopolysaccharide content was higher than without cryostimulation. On the 10th day after the injury and cryotherapy the acid mucopolysaccharide content was normal. The results were evaluated by Fischer's test. The increase of acid mucopolysaccharides on the cornae was more rapid than at the 1% level of significance, as compared with corneae without cryotherapy. Cryotherapy thus promoted restoration of acid mucopolysaccharides in the corroded corneae.