HISTOLOGICAL CHANGES IN EXPERIMENTAL KERATITIS IN RABBITS AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF STEM CELL ADMINISTRATION

The article highlights the results of histological research of experimental keratitis in rabbits after administration of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells. These research results provide an opportunity for further study of the effect of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells on clinical cases of keratitis in animals. 
A decrease in the function of the eye or its biological activity at the tissue level leads to the development of a serious eye disease - keratitis. The causes of keratitis are acute and chronic inflammatory processes in the parenchyma of the eye, ionizing radiation, degenerative changes, surgical operations, and others. Clinical manifestations of keratitis vary from redness to destructive damage of eye tissues. The use of complex stimulating therapy often smoothes the clinical picture of keratitis and for a short time stops inflammatory processes in the eye, which can later lead to a latent state of the eye. All this indicates that it is necessary to investigate the use of stem cells in eye diseases in animals. 
Our histological studies have shown that the regeneration of eye tissues with injected allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells is more effective means of treating keratitis than the traditional method of treatment (daily instillation of gentaline 0.4% and cypronorm 4-6 times a day). Specifically, stem cells act as a regulator of proliferation in damaged tissues, activate the synthesis of anti-inflammatory mediators and strengthen their own antioxidant properties. 
It was established that with the help of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells, the differentiation of epithelial cells in the layers of the eye and a slight delamination of collagen fibrils were noted already on the 7th day, and on the 14th day the epithelial layer approached normal and there was no inflammatory infiltration of the cornea. Also, on the 30th day of the experiment, almost complete restoration of the structures of the damaged tissue of the eye and the end of the inflammatory process had already taken place. That is, histological studies show that allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells not only restore the function of damaged tissue structures, but also affect the intensity of the inflammatory process, which significantly reduces the time of eye tissue repair at the level of cells and tissues. The obtained data using stem cells can be used for new modern effective methods of treatment of eye pathologies.