A Triphasic Analysis of Corneal Swelling and Hydration Control

1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (3) ◽  
pp. 370-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Bryant ◽  
P. J. McDonnell

Physiological studies strongly support the view that hydration control in the cornea is dependent on active ion transport at the corneal endothelium. However, the mechanism by which endothelial ion transport regulates corneal thickness has not been elaborated in detail. In this study, the corneal stroma is modeled as a triphasic material under steady-state conditions. An ion flux boundary condition is developed to represent active transport at the endothelium. The equations are solved in cylindrical coordinates for confined compression and in spherical coordinates to represent an intact cornea. The model provides a mechanism by which active ion transport at the endothelium regulates corneal hydration and provides a basis for explaining the origin of the “imbibition pressure” and stromal “swelling pressure.” The model encapsulates the Donnan view of corneal swelling as well as the “pump-leak hypothesis.”

Author(s):  
Abdolrasol Rahimi ◽  
Hamed Hatami-Marbini

The mechanical behavior of the cornea is mainly governed by the microstructure and composition of the stroma. The stroma is a highly ordered extracellular matrix and constitutes about 90% of the corneal thickness. From the mechanics point of view, the corneal stroma can be considered as a polyelectrolyte gel which is composed of collagen fibrils embedded in an aqueous matrix. The collagen fibrils compose about 70% of cornea’s dry mass and are arranged in a regular lattice structure [2]. Previous studies have shown that while the collagen fibrils are primarily located parallel to the surface, they are not distributed uniformly in all directions and their preferred orientation is not same in different species. For example, collagen fibrils are almost equally distributed in the nasal-temporal and inferior-superior directions in healthy human corneas [4] and they are mainly aligned in the inferior-superior direction in bovine corneas[2]. The differences in the orientations of the collagen fibrils have seen to have important implications on the mechanical properties of the cornea. In addition to this observation, the relative distance between the collagen fibrils is expected to play a role in defining the mechanics of the tissue. It is well-documented that the proteoglycans bind collagen fibrils at regular sites and control their relative position. The main proteoglycan in the corneal stroma is decorin. Decorin is the simplest small leucine-rich proteoglycan with a single glycosaminoglycan side chain. Chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate, and keratan sulfate are among the prevalent glycosaminoglycans found in the cornea. Under physiological conditions, these linear carbohydrate polymers are ionized and carry negative charges. Therefore, a hydrated gel is formed in the empty space between collagen fibrils by attracting water. It is known that the interaction of these negatively charged glycosaminoglycans with themselves and with the free ions contribute to the corneal swelling pressure and subsequently to its compressive stiffness. Nevertheless, their possible influence on the corneal tensile properties is yet to be determined. In this work, we experimentally characterized the tensile properties of the bovine corneal stroma in different bathing solutions. Furthermore, a quasi-linear viscoelastic (QLV) model was used to examine the effect of bathing fluids and corneal hydration on mechanical parameter of the cornea.


2021 ◽  
pp. 112067212110065
Author(s):  
Murat Serkan Songur ◽  
Yavuz Selim İntepe ◽  
Seray Aslan Bayhan ◽  
Hasan Ali Bayhan ◽  
Ender Şahin ◽  
...  

Purpose: In the present study we evaluate the corneal endothelium using specular microscopy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Methods: The study included a total of 100 patients including 35 patients with mild OSAS, 34 patients with moderate OSAS and 31 patients with severe OSAS, and the right eyes of 30 patients as a control group. Patients were examined to exclude the possibility of ocular diseases. Cellular density in the cornea epithelium (cell/mm2), corneal thickness (µ), percentage of hexagonal cells (%) and the coefficient of variation were evaluated using a specular microscope. Results: Corneal thickness was significantly decreased in all OSAS groups when compared to the control group ( p = 0.002), while no significant difference was identified among the OSAS groups. The corneal endothelial cell density, percentage of hexagonal cells and coefficient of variation were significantly different between the OSAS groups and the control group ( p < 0.001). Conclusion: More significant impairments were noted in the corneal endothelium of the patients in the OSAS group than in the control group, and specular microscopy is in valuable in the follow-up and treatment of such patients.


2010 ◽  
Vol 299 (1) ◽  
pp. R92-R100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Berger ◽  
Martin Hardt ◽  
Wolfgang G. Clauss ◽  
Martin Fronius

A thin liquid layer covers the lungs of air-breathing vertebrates. Active ion transport processes via the pulmonary epithelial cells regulate the maintenance of this layer. This study focuses on basolateral Cl− uptake mechanisms in native lungs of Xenopus laevis and the involvement of the Na+/K+/2 Cl− cotransporter (NKCC) and HCO3−/Cl− anion exchanger (AE), in particular. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining revealed the expression of the NKCC protein in the Xenopus lung. Ussing chamber experiments demonstrated that the NKCC inhibitors (bumetanide and furosemide) were ineffective at blocking the cotransporter under basal conditions, as well as under pharmacologically stimulated Cl−-secreting conditions (forskolin and chlorzoxazone application). However, functional evidence for the NKCC was detected by generating a transepithelial Cl− gradient. Further, we were interested in the involvement of the HCO3−/Cl− anion exchanger to transepithelial ion transport processes. Basolateral application of DIDS, an inhibitor of the AE, resulted in a significantly decreased the short-circuit current (ISC). The effect of DIDS was diminished by acetazolamide and reduced by increased external HCO3− concentrations. Cl− secretion induced by forskolin was decreased by DIDS, but this effect was abolished in the presence of HCO3−. These experiments indicate that the AE at least partially contributes to Cl− secretion. Taken together, our data show that in Xenopus lung epithelia, the AE, rather than the NKCC, is involved in basolateral Cl− uptake, which contrasts with the common model for Cl− secretion in pulmonary epithelia.


1989 ◽  
Vol 257 (5) ◽  
pp. R967-R972
Author(s):  
T. J. Bradley

Urine formation in insects occurs in the Malpighian tubules by means of active ion transport and osmotically coupled water flow. The rates of urine formation can vary with time and can be modulated by diuretic hormones, developmental events, and intracellular parasitism. This paper reviews a number of recent studies in which it has been demonstrated that variations in transport rate are associated with substantial changes in tubule ultrastructure in the form of membrane insertion into and deletion from the apical microvilli. The principal driving force for fluid movement in Malpighian tubules is thought to be a common cation pump located in the apical membranes. It is proposed that modulation of the apical microvillar membrane may reflect regulation by the cells of the number of common cation pump units involved in fluid secretion.


Author(s):  
Carlo S. Rossi ◽  
Ernesto Carafoli ◽  
Albert L. Lehninger

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (15) ◽  
pp. 6244-6248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinlei Yang ◽  
Pengchao Liu ◽  
Xiao He ◽  
Junjun Hou ◽  
Yaping Feng ◽  
...  

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