Transplantation of Amniotic Membrane to the Subretinal Space in Pigs
Figure 1
(a) Peroperative photo of the bleb with the retinotomy. Arrow points at the lesion in the retinal pigment epithelium trough the retinotomy. (b) Peroperative photo from the same operation as (a). The arrow points now at transplanted amniotic membrane (AM) covering the induced lesion. (c) Micrograph of the subretinal space (SRS) in a pig after transplantation of AM. The AM is in close contact with the RPE and covers the lesion completely. AM is totally covered with RPE cells similar to the normal host RPE and no CNV is observed. (d) Micrograph of the SRS in a pig after transplantation of AM. AM covers in this case only partly the induced lesion. Formation of a choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) is seen. AM is in contact with the RPE at one side and the RPE has covered the retina near side of the AM. We have not observed CNV penetrate the AM, but the CNV rather tends to “crawl under” the membrane out into the SRS. (e) Micrograph of a control eye that received mechanical damage to RPE/Bruch’s membrane, but did not receive any AM. A large CNV is seen in the SRS. The peripheral part is covered with RPE, whereas the central part is in close contact with the photoreceptors. The scale bars are: (a) 100 μm, (b) 100 μm, and (c) 200 μm.
