Trabecular meshwork cells grown on filters. Conductivity and cytochalasin effects.
A system was developed to measure the hydraulic conductivity of cultured monolayers of human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells. By optimizing the cell growth conditions and evaluating a number of filter supports, confluent HTM cells in single layers were obtained for measurement of hydraulic conductivity. The HTM monolayers had hydraulic conductivities of 0.3-2.0 microliters/min/mm Hg/cm2 measured at near-physiological flow rates. Evaluations of cytochalasin B (CB) effects on the hydraulic conductivity of our HTM monolayers revealed that CB (10(-6) to 10(-5) M) caused a dramatic dose-related increase in conductivity within 10 to 30 min, which parallels CB effects on outflow facility in vivo. Morphologic observations show that the increase in hydraulic conductivity was accompanied by a retraction of the trabecular cells and widening of the intercellular spaces. Our findings suggest that growth of HTM cells on filter supports can provide a useful in vitro system to study the regulation of aqueous outflow.
Perkins
T W
TW
Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
Alvarado
J A
JA
Polansky
J R
JR
Stilwell
L
L
Maglio
M
M
Juster
R
R
D000328:Adult; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003571:Cytochalasin B / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D010477:Perfusion; D010539:Permeability; D014129:Trabecular Meshwork / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D003571:Cytochalasin B