Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of Eusol-C as a corneal storage medium on the survival of donor endothelium.

Materials and Methods: Twenty-seven corneas not suitable for transplant were included in this study. All donor corneas were stored in Eusol-C at 4°C. Daily donor corneal endothelial cell counting was performed with an eye bank specular microscope. All corneas were discarded after the study process.

Results: Mean donor age was 51.3 ± 18.8 years (range, 25-94 y). The mean duration between death and corneal excision was 9.5 ± 6.7 hours (range, 3-23 h). Mean endothelial cell density was 2195 ± 383 cells/mm² at the beginning of the preservation (range, 1361-2899 cells/mm²). Donor endothelial cell density was between 1500 to 2000 cells/mm² in 9 corneas, 2000 to 2500 in 11 corneas, 2500 to 3000 in 5, and higher than 3000 in 2 corneas at baseline. Mean endothelial cell density was found 1658 cells/mm² on the eighth day of storage, with a mean endothelial cell loss rate of 24.5%. Corneas stored 9 to 24 days in Eusol-C had a rate of endothelial cell damage of 3.1% per day.

Conclusions: Although our results revealed a higher endothelial cell loss than previous reports, overall performance of Eusol-C in preserving the donor endothelium may be satisfactory for clinical use.

Abstract: It has been recently shown that cold storage at 2-8°C is not neutral towards metabolic properties of the cornea. The aims of this study were to reveal: the kinetics of biochemical changes in human corneas during cold storage and the time of storage when the preserved corneas show the biggest biochemical similarities to in vivo ones. Twenty human corneas were obtained post-mortem from ten 60 to 71-year-old donors and preserved in Eusol-C at +4°C for 14 days. The control samples were the tissues stored at -80°C immediately after collecting them from cadaver eye globes. The daily changes in metabolic profiles of the samples were investigated with HR MAS 1H NMR spectroscopy. 25 metabolites were detected and assigned in the corneas. The significant differences in metabolic profiles between Eusol-C-preserved and non-preserved tissues, and between the corneas stored for 14 days comparing to 7-days samples, were revealed. The main differences between the samples were related to the levels of ATP, formate, lactate, glycine and butyrate in the tissues. The corneas preserved for 2 weeks were shown to have the biochemical contents more resembling the in vivo ones than the corneas preserved for one week. The results of this study suggest that from the biochemical point of view the cornea transplantation or any other procedure associated with a removal of the cornea from the storage medium should be performed after two weeks of the hypothermic preservation in Eusol-C.

Abstract: More than a decade has passed since the introduction of intermediate-term corneal storage media in Brazil. Two media have been used for this purpose, namely Optisol-GS (Bausch & Lomb, USA) and Eusol-C (AL.CHI.MI.A., Italy). Both are indicated for corneal storage at 4°C for up to 14 days, which is  the most widespread technique for storage of donor corneas intended for transplantation. There are no comparative clinical studies between the two media in the literature. In the present study, we divided 61 corneas in two groups: 31 corneas were stored in Eusol-C (mean postoperative follow-up: 26.8 ±7.4 months; mean endothelial cell density: 949.8 ± 354.7 cells/mm2)   and 30 corneas were stored in Optisol-GS (mean postoperative follow-up: 24.8 ± 20.1 months; mean endothelial cell density: 1.225.2 ± 682.1 cells/mm2). We confirmed the efficacy of both Eusol-C and Optisol-GS for storage of human donor corneas intended for transplantation. No statistically significant differences in biomicroscopy, endothelial cell density, topography, pachymetry and patient’s visual acuity were observed between the media. The quality of life of patients undergoing transplantation was not affected by corneal storage in the two media.

Abstract: Older donor cornea (76-80 yrs old) were stored in Eusol-C and transplanted. None of the recipients developed postoperative endophthalmitis or other inflammatory complications at 3 month post-op and visual acuity was improved in 98% of patients.

Abstract: Eusol-C is a widely used European media for cold corneal storage. In the present study we compared Eusol-C to Optisol-GS. Following transplantation,  corneal endothelial cell densities and corneal thickness were similar between Optisol-preserved corneas and Eusol-preserved corneas.

Abstract: Eusol-C is an effective alternative corneal storage media to the more widely used Optisol-GS. Eusol-C maintained donor cornea viability, similarly to Optisol-GS. New Backlight Corneal Microscopy had significant advantages over traditional slit lamp microscopy for donor corneas evaluation prior to transplant.

Abstract: A comparative analysis between Eusol-C and Borzenok-Moroz medium revealed a positive comparison of clinical and laboratory data between the two media.

Abstract: Eusol-C proved to be an effective alternative corneal storage media,  maintaining donor corneal viability comparable with the more widely used Optisol-GS.