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Lack of correlation between intraocular inflammation and after-cataract formation in the rabbit eye
N Wallentin1, B Lundgren, C Lundberg
1Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. niklas_wallentin@merck.com
Purpose:
To determine whether an increased or reduced inflammatory response following cataract surgery influences the development of after-cataract.
Setting:
Department of Preclinical Ophthalmology, Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden.
Methods:
Rabbits that had had cataract surgery were given endotoxin, ovalbumin, dexamethasone, or diclofenac. Aqueous humor, leukocytes, and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) were analyzed, and the wet weight of the after-cataract was determined.
Results:
The wet weight of the after-cataract was unaffected by endotoxin and 67% lower in the eyes treated with ovalbumin than in the control eyes on day 56. Aqueous humor concentrations of leukocytes and PGE(2) were 94% and 87% lower in the group treated with dexamethasone than in the control group on day 7, and the concentration of PGE(2) was 98% lower in the diclofenac group; however, the wet weight of the after-cataract was unaffected by both treatments.
Conclusion:
This study suggests that an increased inflammatory response does not increase the development of after-cataract and a reduction in the inflammatory response does not reduce the development of after-cataract.