Construction of rabbit corneal epithelium tissue-engineered with acellular conjunctiva matrix.

Abstract

<p>Rabbit primary limbal epithelial cells proliferated well at day 7 (A). Trypan blue-alizarin red staining showed that the cells maintained live activity and grew to confluence (B). The cells could be labeled with CM-Dil (red fluorescence) (C) and stained positive with anti-K3/12 (D). Negative control lacks primary antibody (E). The rabbit corneal epithelial cells formed a 2–3 epithelial layer structure after culture for 14 days, as confirmed by H.E. staining (F) and TEM observation (G). There were tight junctions between cells and the aCM scaffold (H). Scale bar: 100 µm (D, E), 50 µm (B, C, F), 5 µm (G) and 1 µm (H).</p