Specular microscopy of corneal endothelial cells in rabbits.

The corneal endothelia of 19 male and 19 female Japanese White rabbits (age: 6 to 15 months) were examined with a contact-type specular microscope under general anesthesia. The specular microscopy showed uniform-sized, pentagonal or hexagonal endothelia arranged regularly on the innermost layer of the cornea. In addition, large endothelial cells were sporadically observed in some rabbits. These large cells had smooth contour, and were 3 to 15 times as large as the cells of standard size. The large cells were isolated from each other and randomly located in one or both eyes of both sexes in all age groups examined. The presence of large endothelial cells was not related with the wounds on the corneal surface or the inflammation in the anterior chamber. Concerning the cell density (cells/mm2) and the incidence of the large cell, no statistically significant difference was observed between the left and right eyes or between sexes. However, the cell density decreased in rabbits over 12 months old.