Abstract
Purpose::
To investigate the potential of the somatostain analogue, Lanreotide, to inhibit the proliferation of human lens epithelial cells with the intention of preventing posterior capsular opacification (PCO).
Methods::
Using a human lens epithelial cell line (HLEC), the cells were seeded at a density of 3x104/ml onto 6 well multi well plates in MEM supplemented with 10% FCS and allowed to attach for one hour. After this time the medium was removed and replaced with medium containing 1, 10 and 100µg/ml lanreotide acetate for 24hrs. The cells were washed in PBS, trypsinized, harvested and cell counts performed using a haemocytometer. Morphology was assessed using phase contrast microscopy.
Results::
The cell counts indicate that the lanreotide is inhibiting cell growth in a dose dependent fashion. At 1µg/ml there was no significant inhibition of cell growth (p≤0.5). The cells grew to a normal confluent monolayer and appeared morphologically similar to the control group. At the higher concentrations there was a 20% inhibition of cell growth at 10µg/ml and a 47% inhibition at 100µg/ml (p≤0.01) after 24hrs. The cells at 100µg/ml also appeared elongated and stressed.
Conclusions::
The main complication following cataract surgery is PCO which occurs in 25% of all cases. Normal lens epithelial cells migrate to the posterior capsule where they undergo a myfibroblastic transformation. Inhibition of this migration and proliferation would therefore be of huge benefit. Lanreotide, which has been shown to bind to SST2 and SST5 receptors and which has a much longer duration of action than natural somatostatin, has been shown in this study to be able to inhibit LEC proliferation. This drug may thus prove useful in the treatment of PCO.
Keywords: posterior capsular opacification (PCO) • clinical research methodology