Effects of anti-inflammatory eye drops in cultured human corneal epithelial cells

Abstract

Purpose : To compare the effect of three commonly used anti-inflammatory eye drops containing cyclosporin (0.05%), lifitegrast (5%), and tacrolimus (0.1%) in cell survival.

Methods : Healthy donor corneal transplant tissues were obtained from San Diego Eye Bank. Corneal epithelial cells were scraped from the surface of the corneal rim after 1 h treatment in dispase II. Cells derived from donor tissue were first plated in a well of 12 well plate, passaged to a well of 6 well plate, and finally passaged to a 96 well plate for drug application. Wells were separated into the following five treatment groups: cyclosporine 0.05%; lifitegrast 5%; tacrolimus 0.1% and two controls, a balanced salt solution (BSS) group and a no treatment group. The cells were exposed to medium containing 10% of eye drops (cyclosporine final 0.005%, lifitegrast final 0.5%, and tacrolimus final 0.01%) and eye drop containing medium were washed out after 2 m, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, and 24 h (N = 6-10 wells for each condition).

Results : The effect of cyclosporine became statistically significant at 24 h compared to control groups [survival rate: 26 +/- 27% (mean +/- SD, N = 6)]. The effect of lifitegrast became statistically significant at 24 h compared to control groups [survival rate: 14 +/- 14% (mean +/- SD, N = 6)]. The effect of tacrolimus became statistically significant at 1, 2, 4 and 24 h [survival rates: 7 +/- 11% at 1 h, 32+/- 37% at 2 h, 14 +/-19% at 4 h, and 0 +/- 0% at 24 h (mean +/- SD, N = 10-14)]. BSS application had no effect on cell survival compared to no treatment group. In other words, application of medium containing cyclosporine and lifitegrast had no significant effects up to 4 h, although tacrolimus affected in 1 h.

Conclusions : Epithelial cell culture cytotoxicity was more moderate in cyclosporin and lifitegrast, and more harsh in tacrolimus containing eye drops. These findings may serve as a useful resource to select anti-inflammatory eyedrops in a clinical setting and provide further insights into the study of inflammatory signaling and cell death pathways.

This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.