Thickness and density of corneal endothelial cells in ovines

Abstract

The cornea is transparent layer of the eye,
transmission and refraction of light being their main
functions. The endothelium, one of the cornea four layers,
is a hexagonal unicellular layer that forms a barrier between
the stroma and aqueous humor, obstructing the entrance
of water and others solutes from the anterior chamber
towards the stroma. In the regard to it, a minimum density
of these cells is necessary to maintain the performance
and clarity of the eye visual capacity. The main objective
of the present research was the determination of the
density of endothelial cells and their corneal thickness,
using a noncontact specular microscope, in 22 eyes from
11 ovines. The average density of the endothelial corneal
was 2726 cels/mm² and the thickness 654 µm. The males
displayed a higher average density and a smaller cell area
than the females.