Abstract
Purpose :
Previous studies demonstrated robust postoperative inflammation and fibrosis after lensectomy in juvenile rabbits. We sought to identify changes in aqueous humor protein composition that may affect the response after lensectomy with intraocular lens (IOL) insertion.
Methods :
All experiments were approved and in compliance with the Animal Care Committee at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Juvenile (6-7 week old) New Zealand White rabbits had clear-cornea lensectomy under general anesthesia with Simcoe irrigation and aspiration followed by acrylic IOL insertion (Alcon SN60WF 30D). Anterior chamber fluid was collected before lensectomy and three days following surgery using a 30-gauge needle on a syringe. Samples were stored at -80 degrees Celsius until analysis. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was performed using a Linear Ion Trap Orbitrap Velos mass spectrometer (Thermo-Fisher Scientific). Database searching was done with MaxQuant version 1.4.1.2, and Uniprot sequence database.
Results :
Protein profile differences were demonstrated when comparing the aqueous humor samples from the same eye before and three days after lensectomy. In all six cases, there were fewer identified proteins three days after lensectomy when compared to prior to lensectomy. The proteins present in surgically naïve eyes included collagens, insulin-like growth factor binding proteins, transforming growth factor beta, retinol binding protein-3, and SPARC-like protein. Proteins observed in aqueous humor three days after lensectomy included several members of the serine proteinase inhibitor superfamily, complement proteins, inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor, and fibrinogen.
Conclusions :
Protein profile changes of the aqueous humor begin to provide the foundation for understanding the robust response to lensectomy seen in juvenile rabbits and determine the effects of pharmacologic interventions. These results suggest a reduction of constitutive proteins contributes to the response to lensectomy with IOL implantation. In addition, an increase in levels of some proteins may influence the degree of ocular inflammation and fibrosis. These changes may explain underlying mechanisms contributing to inflammation and scarring observed after pediatric cataract surgery.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.