In vivo biomaterial study of collagen-chitosan-sodium hyaluronate composite as artificial cornea

The cornea has a function as a protective layer of the eye and transmits light to the eye thus it has the potential to suffer damage. Damage to the cornea can cause blindness besides cataracts. Handling of corneal damage that is executed a lot has a high rate of rejection reaction from the patient's body and the limited number of donors. An alternative effort is created to replace the cornea by creating artificial corneas using different concentrations of sodium hyaluronate added to collagen and chitosan. To find out the results of artificial corneal cytotoxicity test and in vivo characterization in New Zealand rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) with different concentrations of sodium hyaluronate. Corneal artificially made from sodium hyaluronate with a concentration variation of 0%; 0.3%; 0.6% w / v in collagen 20% w / v and chitosan 10% w / v. Artificial corneas that provide the best results through cytototoxicity testing were implanted in New Zealand rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Two tails were randomly selected which were divided into 2 groups: negative or untreated groups (G0) and positive groups or implanted cornea (G1 and G2) of the best study results in rabbit eyes. G0 sample (coll-chi without Sodium Hyaluronate) has a cell viability percentage of 93.02632% in the cytotoxicity test, while G1 sample (coll-chi +NaHa 0,3%w/v) has a cell viability level of 74.3342% and a G2 (coll-chi +NaHa 0,6%w/v) sample has 100% cell viability level. In the in vivo test by implanting G2 samples into rabbit eyes, showed no inflammatory results, there was no exudation in the anterior chamber and the centre of vision was clear. However, microscopically, the cornea is artificially the same thickness as the control cornea, producing a suitable stroma structure, and well-developed epithelial cells. All three samples are showed the percentage of cell viability above 70% with the G2 sample (coll-chi +NaHa 0,6%w/v) having the highest percentage in the cytotoxicity test. The G2 (coll-chi +NaHa 0,6%w/v) sample is implied in the rabbit's eye also shows that this corneal is biocompatible through the condition without inflammation and exudation, the corneal implant has same thickness with the control and the epithelial and stroma structure could grow normally same as in control.