title: Biocompatibility of the vital dye Acid Violet-17 on retinal pigment epithelial cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the viability and differentiation of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells after exposure to the vital dye Acid Violet-17 (AV-17).
  
  
  METHODS
  Bovine RPE cells were incubated with AV-17 (0.0625-0.5 mg/mL) for 30 seconds or 5 minutes. Viability was determined by live/dead staining, cleaved CASP3 immunostainings, and MTT test. Actin cytoskeleton was visualized by Alexa 488-phalloidin. Immunocytochemistry was performed to determine the levels of ZO-1, CTNNB1, and KRT19.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure to AV-17 at the concentrations of 0.25-0.5 mg/mL resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in viability, the loss of ZO-1 from tight junctions, translocation of CTNNB1 into the cytoplasm and nucleus, disarrangement of the actin cytoskeleton, and a slight increase in KRT19.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AV-17 at a concentration <0.125 mg/mL is likely to be well tolerated by the RPE cells, whereas the concentrations from 0.25 mg/mL onward can reduce viability and induce dedifferentiation particularly after long-term exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Ayşegül
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tura
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Aizhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alt
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lüke
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grisanti
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haritoglou
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Pallas Clinic, Aarau, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Carsten H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nassar
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lüke
keywords: Acid Violet-17; biocompatibility; differentiation; retinal pigment epithelial cells; viability