[Establishing human, conjunctival fibroblast cultures as a test system for evaluating ophthalmic drugs].
BACKGROUND
Chronic inflammation of the anterior eye segment caused by severe burns has to be treated by several drugs. Often it is very difficult to recognize the relationship between drug and side effects. Although the results were usually satisfying, proliferation of the conjunctival tissue was observed. Therefore the question was raised whether these proliferations might have been a side effect of the drugs. To answer this question, we established cultures of human conjunctival fibroblasts for ocular toxicity testing of drugs used in the therapy of severe eye burns.


METHODS
Conjunctival fibroblasts from young donors were cultured under standard conditions (37 degrees C, 5% C02, 95% RH) in Medium 199 supplemented with 20% FCS without antibiotics. At the time of inoculation the following drugs were added: aprotinin, prednisolone, chloramphenicol and methylhydroxypropylcellulose. Cell growth was observed and growth kinetics were estimated by hemocytometer over a period of 7 days.


RESULTS
The investigations of prednisolone showed the well-known dose-dependent anti-proliferative effect. The application of methylhydroxypropylcellulose resulted in decreased cell growth and in total cell detachment. Experiments with aprotinin and chloramphenicol showed no effects on the growth behaviour. The application of a drug mixture lead to similar results as in experiments with prednisolone.


CONCLUSIONS
The presented cell-culture system is able to reproduce specific effects, especially the toxicity of ophthalmic drugs but a complex interaction of an inflammatory reaction, e.g. after severe eye burns, cannot be simulated. The network of reactions and the interaction of many substances playing an important role during this process are too complex.
Frantz
A
A
Laboratorium der Augenklinik, RWTH Aachen.
Becker
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007611:Aprotinin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000494:pharmacology; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D003470:Culture Media; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods*; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D065347:Hypromellose Derivatives; D008297:Male; D008747:Methylcellulose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D065347:Hypromellose Derivatives; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D008747:Methylcellulose; D007611:Aprotinin; D011239:Prednisolone
Etablierung humaner, konjunktivaler Fibroblastenkulturen als Testsystem zur Beurteilung von Ophthalmika.