THYMIDINE INCORPORATION BY HUMAN CORNEAL ENDOTHELIUM DURING ORGAN CULTURE

Abstract

Nine corneas from 5 human adult donors were obtained 11-31 h post mortem. The endothelium was wounded in 4 corneas by freezing and in 1 cornea by mechanical means. Care was taken to minimize endothelial damage in the remaining 4 corneas. The corneas were incubated at 31.degree. C for 6 days in a tissue culture medium containing 3H thymidine. Autoradiographs were made of the flat preparations of the endothelium. All corneas contained radioactive endothelial cell nuclei, with the highest concentration of labeled nuclei being in the wound areas. The greatest number of labeled cells was found in the cornea from the youngest donor, 19 yr of age, but thymidine uptake also occurred in the cornea of the oldest donor, 89 yr old, which additionally had signs of endothelial dystrophy.