Effect of mitomycin-C on human retinal pigment epithelium in culture.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of mitomycin-C on confluent and non-confluent human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in tissue culture.


METHODS
The effect of mitomycin-C on confluent RPE was determined by treating first passage confluent cells with 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 or 1000 micromolar (microM) mitomycin-C for 1, 3, or 7 days. The cell viability after treatment was determined by using an esterase stain. The effect of mitomycin-C on proliferating RPE was determined by incubating non-confluent cells with the above concentrations of mitomycin-C for 20 min, 1 hour or 24 hours.


RESULTS
Mitomycin-C can be toxic to a confluent RPE monolayer, and the LD50 is 421, 28.8 or 0.0632 microM when cells are continually exposed to mitomycin-C for 1, 3 or 7 days, respectively. Exposure to mitomycin-C at concentrations > or = 10 microM for 20-60 min significantly inhibits proliferation of non-confluent RPE. A 24 hour exposure of RPE to 1 microM mitomycin-C markedly inhibits proliferation of non-confluent RPE with minimal toxicity to confluent RPE.


CONCLUSIONS
Since exposure of human RPE to mitomycin-C for 24 hours can inhibit cell proliferation at concentrations which are well-tolerated by confluent RPE, mitomycin-C may be a suitable agent for inhibiting RPE proliferation in vivo.
Ho
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TC
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Del Priore
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LV
Hornbeck
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R
D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019384:Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
D019384:Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; D016685:Mitomycin