title: Effects of subretinal implant materials on the viability, apoptosis and barrier function of cultured RPE cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Subretinal microphotodiode array (MPDA) is a type of visual prosthesis used for the implantation in the subretinal space of patients with progressive photoreceptor cell loss. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of materials for MPDA on the viability, apoptosis and barrier function of cultured pig retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary culture of pig RPE cells was performed and 24 pig eyes were used to start RPE culture. The third passage of the cultures was plated on different materials for MPDA and MPDAs. The tetrazolium dye-reduction assay (MTT) was used to determine RPE cell viability. Flow cytometry was measured to indicate the apoptosis rates of RPE cells on different materials. RPE cells were also cultured on microporous filters, and the transepithelial resistance and permeability of the experimental molecule were measured to determine the barrier function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data from all the methods indicated no significant difference between the materials groups and the control group, and the materials tested showed good biocompatibility.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The materials for MPDA used in the present study had no direct toxicity to the RPE cells and did not release harmful soluble factors that affected the barrier function of RPE in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, People's Hospital, Peking University, Peking, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hui-Juan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiao-Xin
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian-Qiang
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Wei-Hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.forename: Hong-Da
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D040761:Biomimetic Materials; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019793:Fluorescein / Q000378:metabolism; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D008422:Materials Testing; D008839:Microelectrodes; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000166:cytology; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D019793:Fluorescein