title: Adherence and viability of porcine lens epithelial cells on three different IOL materials in vitro.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of the study was to evaluate porcine lens epithelial cell (LEC) adhesion and viability on three different intraocular lens (IOL) materials.
  
  
  METHODS
  The IOL materials tested were poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), silicone and hydrophobic acrylate. Primary porcine LECs were cultured on four discs of each material over a period of 10 days and, additionally, on six discs of the hydrophobic acrylate over a period of 20 days. Cells grown on untreated wells of a 96-well microtiter plate served as a control. Cell adhesion was photodocumentated on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 14,17 and 20. A cell viability test using the LIVE/DEAD kit (Molecular Probes) was carried out at the end of the investigation. Experiments were run in triplicate. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Confluent cell growth was reached on the hydrophobic acrylate discs and the control wells within 1 day and remained stable during the experiment. Only a few round cells were adherent on PMMA and silicone discs, and their number decreased during the experiment. After 10 days of culturing, the viability test (mean +/- SD) revealed 81.79 +/- 51.74% live cells on acrylate discs, which was not different from the control (105.83 +/- 21.78%, P=0.1589). Significantly lower relative numbers of live cells (P>0.0001) were found on PMMA (-0.62 +/- 2.24%) and silicone (21.47 +/- 8.42%) discs. The percentage of dead cells was significantly higher (P<0.0001) on hydrophobic acrylate discs (29.69 +/- 12.61%) compared to the control (-1.49 +/- 4.13%). After a culture period of 20 days, the percentage of live cells on hydrophobic acrylate discs (49.45 +/- 27.98%) was lower compared to day 10, but was not significantly different from control wells (58.77 +/- 10.71%) (P=0.2299).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significantly fewer cells grew on PMMA and silicone discs compared to the control. Confluent cell growth and numbers of viable cells comparable to the control were observed on hydrophobic acrylate discs after a culture period of 20 days with a significantly higher percentage of dead cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ulm, Prittwitzstr 43, 89075 Ulm, Germany. yvonne.hesse@medizin.uni-ulm.de
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hesse
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kampmeier
authors.forename: Gerhard K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baldysiak-Figiel
authors.forename: Gabriele E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D002452:Cell Count; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000166:cytology*; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; C009931:poly(ethylmethacrylate); D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate