Usability of abattoir-acquired pig eyes for refractive excimer laser research

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 19087
• Main Authors: Topka, Marius, Zhang, Yao, Bock, Antonia, Riedel, Peter, Lörner, Johannes, Hammer, Alexander, Maier, Eva, Paulsen, Friedrich, Hammer, Christian M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 27.09.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 692/308; 692/698; Abattoirs; Animals; Cornea; Cornea - surgery; Epithelium; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Laboratories; Lasers; Lasers, Excimer; Lesions; Models, Animal; Morphology; multidisciplinary; Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures - instrumentation; Refraction, Ocular; Scanning electron microscopy; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Specimen Handling - methods; Sus scrofa; Swine; Vision Disorders - surgery
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98635-z

The purpose of this study was to elucidate, under which conditions abattoir-acquired pig eyes are suitable for refractive excimer laser experiments. Porcine eyes from tunnel-scalded (n = 5) and tank-scalded (n = 10) pigs were compared to unscalded eyes (n = 5) and to eyes scalded in the laboratory (n = 5). The corneal epithelium was removed before an excimer laser was used to perform a − 8.0 D photoablation. Corneal thickness was measured by optical coherence topography before and after photoablation. The ablation depth was determined with a contour measuring station, the morphology of the ablated areas was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and white-light profilometry. The scalded eyes showed an increase in corneal swelling which gained statistical significance in tank-scalded eyes showing a wedge-shaped opaque stromal lesion in the nasal corneal quadrant. A measurable deterioration of photoablation was only found in tank-scalded eyes that exhibited the opaque lesion. Ablated area morphology was smooth and regular in the unscalded and tunnel-scalded eyes. The tank-scalded eyes showed conspicuous wrinkles. While unscalded eyes should always be preferred for excimer laser laboratory experiments, the data suggest that the use of tunnel-scalded eyes may also be acceptable and should be chosen over tank-scalded eyes.