Abstract
Purpose: :
To examine whether triamcinolone acetonide induces apoptosis in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells.
Methods: :
Pure cultures of human RPE cells were isolated. RPE cells were incubated with different concentrations of triamcinolone acetonide (1mg/ml, 5mg/ml, and 10mg/ml) for 30 minutes. The rate of RPE cell apoptosis was assessed with Annexin V staining and flow cytometry.
Results: :
Triamcinolone acetonide did not induce a statistically significant amount of apoptosis in RPE cells at none of the concentrations (1mg/ml, 5mg/ml, and 10mg/ml). RPE cells maintained their epithelial shape and monolayer structure.
Conclusions: :
Short time incubation of human RPE cells with triamcinolone acetonide did not induce any significant toxicity in the cells. Further clinical studies are warranted to examine the safety of triamcinolone acetonide for macular hole surgery.
Keywords: retinal pigment epithelium • apoptosis/cell death • macular holes