Beschreibung:
<jats:sec><jats:label /><jats:p>We hypothesize that the mechanisms of corneal injury will alter the both the structure and function of corneal nerves. Using models of chemical injury (BAK application) and mechanical injury (epithelial debridement), we investigated changes in corneal nerve structure in mice and rats using transgenic reporters and immunostaining. We also examined corneal nerve function in rats using trigeminal ganglion electrophysiology. We found that subsets of cold‐sensitive neurons were differentially altered in chemical vs. mechanical injury. Chemical injury also resulted in more prolonged changes in corneal nerve morphology. Preliminary data suggests that nerve growth factors can accelerate functional recovery as well as structural recovery of injured corneal nerves.</jats:p></jats:sec>