In order to investigate the effects of 193nm excimer laser radiation on comeal wound healing 5bovine comeas were treated with subablative and ablative 193nm Excimer laser radiation, by simple light exposure and mechanial ablation of the corneal tissue or not treated. The comeas were metabolically labelled with a [35S]-labelling reagent. The proteoglycans were then extracted and radioactivity was measured with a liquid scintillation spectrometer. Corneas after ablative 193nm excimer laser radiation and after mechanical ablation had less radioactivity incorporated but had also less comeal tissue.