title: Experimental lens capsular bag model for posterior capsule opacification.
abstract: An in vitro culture model enabling posterior capsule opacification (PCO) to be investigated was developed and established by using low-melting-point (LMP)-agarose gel to support the capsular bag. After removal of the cornea from rodent and porcine eyeballs, the lens zonules were dissected. Whole lens explants were embedded into 2 % (37 °C) LMP-agarose gel solution. As performed routinely in cataract surgery, capsulotomy and lens fiber removal were carried out in the solidified LMP-agarose gel as sham cataract surgery. The LMP-agarose-gel-supported capsular bag/lens epithelial cell (CB-LEC) complexes were maintained in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium supplemented with 10 % fetal bovine serum in an anterior face-down position. The proliferation and migration of LECs into the posterior capsule were observed every 12 h by phase-contrast microscopy. Epithelial cells were observed at the central portion of the CB-LEC complexes after 56.57 ± 16.56 h (n = 7) and 106 ± 14.03 h (n = 6) of culture, for rodent and porcine lenses, respectively. The solidified gel allowed clear microscopic observations and whole-mount immunostaining evaluations of the whole area of the capsular bag. Histological examinations revealed the proliferation, migration, and transdifferentiation of LECs related to posterior capsule opacification. This new in vitro culture model provides experimental benefits by maintaining the natural contour of the capsule without implants inside or outside of the capsule. In addition, this model system allows pharmacological and histological evaluations of the cultured CB-LEC complexes without additional manipulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Wern-Joo
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: Youngkyun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung Dong
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jae-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058442:Capsule Opacification / Q000473:pathology*; D002417:Cattle; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline; D007908:Lens, Crystalline; D051379:Mice; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D013552:Swine