Effect of short-term macrophage depletion in the development of posterior capsule opacification in rodents.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the role of macrophages in the development of posterior capsule opacification (PCO).


METHODS
For this purpose, an extracapsular lens extraction was performed in 18 consecutive Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were treated with liposomal clodronate (Cl(2)MDP-lip-treated group, n = 10) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (control group, n = 8) 1 day preoperatively and on the first day postoperatively, and sacrificed 3 days postoperatively. Masked clinical, light microscopy and immunohistochemistry studies were conducted. The Fisher exact test and randomisation test were used to assess statistically differences between groups.


RESULTS
A statistically significant reduction in the number of macrophages (ED1+, ED7+, ED8+) was found in the Cl(2)MDP-lip-treated group compared with the PBS-lip-treated group (p = 0.048, p = 0.004, p = 0.027, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences with regards to the presence/absence of central opacification (p = 0.29) and capsular wrinkling (p = 0.21) as detected clinically between groups. Similarly, a qualitative evaluation of the degree of PCO with regards to lens epithelial cell (LEC) proliferation, capsular wrinkling and Soemmerring ring formation showed no statistically significance between groups (p = 0.27, p = 0.061, p = 1.0, respectively). However, a statistically significant reduction in the number of lens epithelial cells (LEC) counted in the centre of the posterior capsule was found in the Cl(2)MDP-lip-treated group (p = 0.009).


CONCLUSIONS
Depletion of macrophages was accompanied by a reduction in LEC in the centre of the posterior capsule in rodents.
Lois
N
N
Department of Ophthalmology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, UK. noemilois@aol.com
Dawson
R
R
Townend
J
J
McKinnon
A D
AD
Smith
G C
GC
van't Hof
R
R
Van Rooijen
N
N
Forrester
J V
JV
D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D004002:Clodronic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D008081:Liposomes; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology
D008081:Liposomes; D004002:Clodronic Acid; D012965:Sodium Chloride