Biomechanics of the JCT and SC Inner Wall Endothelial Cells with Their Basement Membrane Using 3D Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy

Background: More than ~70% of the aqueous humor exits the eye through the conventional aqueous outflow pathway that is comprised of the trabecular meshwork (TM), juxtacanalicular tissue (JCT), the inner wall endothelium of Schlemm’s canal (SC). The flow resistance in the JCT and SC inner wall basement membrane is thought to play an important role in the regulation of the intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eye, but current imaging techniques do not provide enough information about the mechanics of these tissues or the aqueous humor in this area. Methods: A normal human eye was perfusion-fixed and a radial wedge of the TM tissue from a high-flow region was dissected. The tissues were then sliced and imaged using serial block-face scanning electron microscopy. Slices from these images were selected and segmented to create a 3D finite element model of the JCT and SC cells with an inner wall basement membrane. The aqueous humor was used to replace the intertrabecular spaces, pores, and giant vacuoles, and fluid–structure interaction was employed to couple the motion of the tissues with the aqueous humor. Results: Higher tensile stresses (0.8-kPa) and strains (25%) were observed in the basement membrane beneath giant vacuoles with open pores. The volumetric average wall shear stress was higher in SC than in JCT/SC. As the aqueous humor approached the inner wall basement membrane of SC, the velocity of the flow decreased, resulting in the formation of small eddies immediately after the flow left the inner wall. Conclusions: Improved modeling of SC and JCT can enhance our understanding of outflow resistance and funneling. Serial block-face scanning electron microscopy with fluid–structure interaction can achieve this, and the observed micro-segmental flow patterns in ex vivo perfused human eyes suggest a hypothetical mechanism.