Sensory nerve regeneration after epithelium wounding in normal and diabetic corneas

Abstract

The cornea is the most densely innervated mammalian tissue. The sensory nerves are responsible for sensations of dryness, temperature, touch and pain, and play important roles in blink reflex, wound healing and tear production. Many ocular and systemic diseases can adversely affect corneal sensory nerve and, consequently, impair its function. One such systemic disease is diabetes mellitus which causes sensory degeneration, diabetic neurotrophic keratopathy and delayed wound healing. In this review, the authors summarize the recent discoveries revealing the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of diabetic neurotrophic keratopathy and the impairment of sensory nerve regeneration in post wound diabetic corneas in using animal model of human diabetes. Because it is generally believed that common mechanisms are operative in the pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in different tissues, the findings in the corneas have implications in other tissues such as the skin, which often leads to foot ulceration and amputation in diabetic patients.