Fluorescein sodium solution

Anesthetic preparation containing 50 mg/ml tiletamine and 50 mg/ml zolazepam was purchased from Virbac (France). Xylazine hydrochloride was bought from Bioveta (Czech Republic). Fluorescein sodium solution was from Novartis (Switzerland). Ultragrade Tris was purchased from Amresco (USA). Molecular biology grade phosphate buffer saline (PBS) was bought from Gibco. Hemoglobin, luminol, hydrogen peroxide solution, and Trolox (6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid) were from Sigma-Aldrich (USA). Other chemicals used in this study were from Sigma-Aldrich, Amresco, or Serva (Germany) and were at least of reagent grade. All buffers and other solutions were prepared using ultrapure water. The Schirmer test tear strips were from Contacare Ophthalmics & Diagnostics (India). SkQ1 (10-(6′-plastoquinonyl)decyltriphenylphosphonium) was synthesized and provided by the Institute of Mitoengineering of Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia).

The graft’s opacity, neovascularization, and epithelialization were assessed qualitatively using a surgical microscope (LOMO, Saint-Petersburg, Russia) on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, 30th, and 90th days after transplantation. To evaluate the dynamics of corneal epithelialization, rabbit eyes were stained with 1% fluorescein sodium solution (Novartis, Basel, Switzerland) and photographed under blue light.

SkQ1 (10-(6′-plastoquinonyl)-decyltriphenylphosphonium) was provided by the Institute of Mitoengineering of Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia). Anesthetic preparation containing 50 mg/ml tiletamine and 50 mg/ml zolazepam was bought from Virbac, UK. Fluorescein sodium solution was purchased from Novartis, Switzerland. Superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde assay kits were from Sigma-Aldrich, USA. Glutathione peroxidase assay kit was from Randox, UK. Reagents and supplies for histology were from Biovitrum, Russia. Other reagents were from Gibco, Sigma-Aldrich, Amresco and Serva and were at least reagent grade. All buffers and other solutions were prepared using ultrapure deionized water.