Argatroban inhibits intraocular fibrin formation after vitrectomy in rabbits

To examine whether the specific thrombin inhibitor argatroban can prevent anterior chamber, pupillary area, and anterior vitreous fibrin formation after vitrectomy and lensectomy in rabbits.

Argatroban was infused into the vitreous cavities of Japanese albino rabbits for 5 minutes after pars plana vitrectomy and lensectomy. Slitlamp microscopy and indirect ophthalmoscopy were performed at postoperative hours 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 6, and at postoperative days 1, 2, 3, and 7, and the amounts of fibrin formation in the anterior chamber, pupillary area, and anterior vitreous were scored from grade 0 to 4.

Argatroban prevented fibrin formation from 0.5 hours postoperatively in a dose-dependent manner. In the eyes treated with 0.01% argatroban, the median score for postoperative fibrin formation was significantly less than that in control eyes between hours 1 and 3 (hour 1, P =.02; hour 2, P =.005; and hour 3, P =.003); the eyes treated with 0.003% argatroban also had significantly less fibrin than control eyes between 1 and 2 hours (hour 1, P =.005; hour 2, P =.03).

These results indicate that argatroban inhibits intraocular fibrin formation in an experimental rabbit model.

Argatroban may be useful clinically in cases that often produce fibrin postoperatively, such as proliferative vitreoretinopathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy.