Abstract
Purpose :
Contact lens wear (CLW) can change the balance of the ocular surface environment by increasing evaporation and tear osmolarity. Maintaining ocular surface homeostasis during CLW is an important consideration for clinicians. A novel silicone hydrogel daily disposable (SiHy DD) lens has been developed to help reinforce the balance through integration of osmoprotective erythritol and glycerin polyols into the material and packaging solution. The purpose of this study was to use a transformed human corneal epithelial cell (THCEpiC) model to compare metabolic activity and inflammatory responses of the kalifilcon A(KA) packaging solution and 6 other SiHy DD packaging solutions subjected to hyperosmotic conditions.
Methods :
THCEpiC were seeded in a 96 well plate, incubated for 72 hours, media was replaced with fresh basal medium, and the cells were incubated for 24 hours. The packaging solutions of kalifilcon A(KA), delefilcon A(DE), narafilcon A(NA), senofilcon A(SE), somofilcon A(SO), stenofilcon A(ST), verofilcon A(VE) were prepared at 25% and adjusted to a hyperosmolar condition (400 mOsm) with NaCl. 25% HBSS was used as the control. The THCEpiC were exposed to each packaging solution for 24 hours and the cell culture supernatant collected. An alamarBlue assay was performed to evaluate THCEpiC metabolic activity after exposure to the solutions. The cell culture supernatants were quantitated with ELISA specific immunoassays for the detection of inflammatory cytokine (IL-6) and chemokines (IL-8 and MCP-1).
Results :
There was a reduction in THCEpiC metabolic activity with SE and SO solutions adjusted to 400 mOsm (p<0.05). For THCEpiC cells exposed to 400 mOsm adjusted solutions, there were significantly elevated levels of IL-6 with DE, NA, SE, and SO solutions, significantly elevated IL-8 with DE, NA, SE, SO, ST, and VE solutions and significantly elevated levels of MCP-1 with DE, SO, ST, and VE (p<0.05). Cytokine levels of THCEpiC cells exposed to KA 400 mOsm adjusted solution were not significantly elevated.
Conclusions :
The novel KA solution exhibited better overall osmoprotective properties as compared to the six other SiHy DD solutions under hyperosmotic conditions. These results suggest that erythritol and glycerin polyols may have utility in reducing corneal epithelial cell response to hyperosmotic conditions associated with CLW.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.