Ultrastructural changes in rabbit ciliary body after extraocular mitomycin C.
OBJECTIVE
To study the ultrastructural changes in ciliary body epithelium of the rabbit eye after subconjunctival injections of mitomycin C.


METHODS
One eye of six New Zealand white rabbits was given a subconjunctival injection at the 12-o'clock position with 0.005, 0.02, 0.08, 0.1, 0.12, or 0.16 mg mitomycin C. The fellow eye was given a subconjunctival injection of balanced salt solution. Two weeks after treatment, the eyes were enucleated, and the ciliary body was exposed and submerged in fresh 4% paraformaldehyde/2% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, at 4 degrees C. Electron microscopy of the ciliary body was performed at two sites: the injection site (12-o'clock position) and 180 degrees away (6-o'clock position).


RESULTS
At dosages of 0.1 mg and higher, ciliary body epithelial cells beneath the injection site were thinned. There were vacuoles and expansion of intracellular and intercellular spaces. Plasma membrane infoldings were disrupted, and the apical membrane was thinned. Mitochondria and nuclei were normal. Ciliary body epithelium at 6-o'clock position showed only mild architectural distortion of the plasma membrane infoldings. Eyes that received lower doses of mitomycin C (0.005 mg, 0.02 mg, and 0.08 mg) and balanced salt solution showed normal ciliary body epithelium at the injection site and 180 degrees away.


CONCLUSIONS
Subconjunctival injection of mitomycin C in the rabbit produces dose-dependent localized ultrastructural changes of the ciliary body epithelium.
Heaps
R S
RS
University of Virginia, Department of Ophthalmology, Charlottesville 22906-0009, USA.
Nordlund
J R
JR
Gonzalez-Fernandez
F
F
Redick
J A
JA
Conway
B P
BP
D000818:Animals; D002924:Ciliary Body / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007267:Injections; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000633:toxicity*; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011817:Rabbits; D014603:Uveal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology
D016685:Mitomycin