Abstract
Purpose: :
To determine the effects of injection of intracameral agents on the corneal endothelial apoptosis of rats.
Methods: :
Seventy– two eyes of 36 rats were divided into six equal groups. In these groups following agents were injected intracamerally in order of, Lidocaine 1% (Group–1), Adrenaline (Group–2), Triamcinolone acetate (TA) (Group–3), Trypan blue (Group–4), Indocyanine green (ICG) (Group–5), and BSS (Balanced Salt Solution) (Group–6 or control group). Half of the corneal samples were taken at 1st day postinjection and the remaining at 1st week postinjection. Corneal endothelial apoptosis were assessed by the TUNEL staining technique, and also electron microscopic analysis was performed. The ratios of apoptotic cells was calculated from number of apoptotic cells to all endothelium cells in all corneas, and all apoptotic cell ratios were compared in all agent groups with statistical analysis according to Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests.
Results: :
Only Adrenaline slightly induced endothelial apoptosis in some samples in both 1st day and 1st week postinjection, but was not found significant (p=0.2 in both groups). The mean apoptotic cell ratios of Lidocaine and TA groups were found as less than the other agents in the 1st day, and mean ratios of control group was found less than other groups, but were not found statistically significance (p>0.05 in all groups). Also only TA and ICG groups had found less effect on mean apoptosis ratio when compared to control and other groups in the 1st week postinjection, but there was no significant correlation as to statistical analysis (p>0.05 in both groups).
Conclusions: :
This study demonstrates that all agents had not statistically significant effect on the rat corneal endothelial apoptosis when compared to control groups. Intracameral TA may be use as endothelial protective agent in phaco surgery, and may be helper to postoperative recovery. Intracameral adrenaline may be use carefully and may be not if not necessary. Intracameral lidocaine may be used as anesthetic agent and anterior chamber dyes may be used safely during capsulorhexis and phacoemulsification.
Keywords: apoptosis/cell death • cornea: endothelium • drug toxicity/drug effects