Crosslinking-Induced Corneal Endothelium Dysfunction and Its Protection by Topical Ripasudil Treatment

Figure 4

CXL irradiation destroys the integrity of tight junctions and disrupts the localization of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase in corneal endothelial cells. (a, b) Representative confocal images of wholemount mouse central corneal endothelial cells detecting ZO-1, F-actin, and Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase localization on (a) day 4 and (b) day 14. On day 4, ZO-1, F-actin, and Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase staining of endothelial cells show a disrupted distribution of these markers in the U(+), R(+), and U(++), R(+) groups as compared with that in the other 3 groups. After 14 days, the normal distribution around the cell borders was restored in the U(+), R(+) group, but the recovery was still incomplete in the U(++), R(+) group. (c) Representative SEM images of the apical surface of central corneal endothelial cells on day 14. The microvilli on endothelial cells have almost disappeared, and the cell boundary between endothelial cells is discontinuous (arrows) in the U(++), R(+) group as compared with the U(++), R(-), or U(-), R(+) group.

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