Abstract
Purpose:
To evaluate the effects of subconjuntival infiltration of mitomycin C (MMC) in rabbits, comparing dose and time.
Methods:
Mitomycin C was injected subconjuntivally in 248 rabbit eyes. There was a variation in dose [0,5mg/ml, 0,3mg/ml, 0,1mg/ml and 0,01 mg/ml] and time [days 0, 2, 4, 30 and 60]. We analyzed mostly parameters like corneal edema, corneal epithelial disruption, keratitis, Descemet membrane thickening, pannus, angle synechiae, angle granuloma; iris neovascularization, necrosis, vasodilatation, inflammation, hemorrhage and granuloma; ciliary body vasodilatation and edema; perilimbal vasodilatation, granuloma, inflammation, neovascularization, hemorrhage, stromal cell reduction, vessels disruption, stromal necrosis, and characteristics of the epithelium.
Results:
Perilimbal hemorrhage, epithelial changes and inflammation are typically dose dependent. Corneal edema, perilimbal stromal cell reduction and perilimbal vascular disruption are mostly time dependent. Other changes, such as iris necrosis, inflammation and hemorrhage seem to be both time and dose dependent. Analizing the 30 and 60 days groups it is possible to observe a recovery process of conjuntival epithelium and stroma. The first one presents atypical cells with various degrees of pleomosphism. The second one (sub epithelial tissue) repaired by producing a fibrotic and scar tissue. There were intraocular damages when a higher dose of subconjutival MMC was injected.
Conclusions:
The changes after MMC injection in rabbit eyes are both time and dose dependent. There is intraocular damage after subconjutival injection. It is possible that the areas affected with necrosis and cellular death were replaced by atypical cells that migrated from the non modified periphery tissue. Based on the long term findings the changes caused by MMC may be mostly recovered and probably most of the tissue function is maintained.
Keywords: 503 drug toxicity/drug effects •
426 apoptosis/cell death •
500 differentiation