CHANGES IN THE CORNEA FOLLOWING REMOVAL OF THE EPITHELIUM

The epithelial layer of the albino rabbit cornea was completely removed and the rate of epithelial regeneration was monitored by measuring oxygen flux, corneal thickness, and fluorescein staining. Removal of the epithelium caused a marked reduction in the oxygen uptake and an increase in corneal thickness. As the cornea regenerated from the periphery towards the center, there was a return to normal corneal thickness and oxygen uptake. The complete regeneration process took approximately four days. The results of these three methods correlated well and provided a good index for monitoring the corneal regenerative process.