Abstract
Purpose:
The purpose of this study is to determine whether commercially available new multipurpose contact lens care solutions (MPSs) have any cytotoxicity effect on human corneal epithelial (HCE-T) cells. MPSs effect on membrane-associated mucins (MUC1 and MUC16) expressions in the Rat cornea was also assessed. Membrane-associated mucins are one of the major components of the ocular surface that play a vital role in the maintenance of the ocular surface integrity
Methods:
HCE-T cells were treated with different concentrations of MPS-F (1ppm PHMB, no boric acid), MPS-G (1.3ppm PHMB, 1ppm PQ-1, boric acid), MPS-H (1.6 ppm, Alexidine, 3ppm PQ-1, boric acid), MPS-I (1ppm PHMB, boric acid), and MPS-J (5ppm ALDOX, 10ppm PQ-1, boric acid): 100% treatment for 30 minutes and 10% treatment for 24 hours. Cell death was measured by using a viability/cytotoxicity assay kit. Winstar Rats were also subjected to MPSs (1 drop in the right eye every 10 minutes for 1 hour). The left Eye was used as control (1 drop of PBS every 10 min for 1 hour). Cornea lysates were subsequently prepared and used for Western blot analysis for MUC1 and MUC16.
Results:
The viability/cytotoxicity assay result showed that MPSs containing boric acid induce cell death in HCE-T cells. The western blot result showed that boric acid-based MPS down-regulate membrane-associated mucins in the cornea while MPSs without boric acid had no effect on membrane-associated mucins.
Conclusions:
The concentration of boric acid used in commercially available multipurpose contact lens care solutions should be chosen carefully to avoid MPS-related ocular surface damage. Ocular surface damage simultaneously promotes microbial pathogens and potentially increases clinical rates of infection.
Keywords: 482 cornea: epithelium •
426 apoptosis/cell death •
485 cornea: surface mucins