Evaluation of the cataractogenic effect of viscoanesthetic solutions on the rabbit crystalline lens

To evaluate the toxicity and cataractogenic effect of solutions combining sodium (Na) hyaluronate 1.0% and 1.5% with lidocaine 1.0% on the rabbit crystalline lens. The amount of pupil dilation provided by the addition of lidocaine to the Na hyaluronate solutions was also assessed.

John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Five solutions were injected into the anterior chamber of 18 pigmented rabbits in a randomized manner by the same surgeon, the intraocular component of VisThesia (Na hyaluronate 1.5%/lidocaine 1.0%), the intraocular component of VisThesia Light (Na hyaluronate 1.0%/lidocaine 1.0%), Ophthalin Plus (Na hyaluronate 1.5%), and a balanced salt solution; and both eyes of 2 other rabbits were injected with nonpreserved aqueous lidocaine 1.0%. The pupil diameter of each eye was measured before injection, immediately after, and 1 and 5 minutes after injection. After a follow-up of 3 months with slitlamp examinations, the rabbits were killed, and their eyes were enucleated. The crystalline lenses were evaluated from a posterior or Miyake-Apple view, and the eyes were fixated in 10% formalin for histopathologic analyses.

Pupil diameter was significantly larger 1 and 5 minutes after injection in the VisThesia (P = .01 and P = .007) and VisThesia Light (P = .008 and P = .007) groups, whereas the differences were not significant in the Ophthalin Plus (P = .317 and P = .102) and balanced salt solution groups (P = .317 and P = .180). Fast and large pupillary dilation was observed in the aqueous lidocaine group, starting during the injection. No differences in the transparency of the natural lens and the red fundus reflex were noted during slitlamp examinations. Postmortem analyses from a posterior view also showed no differences in the transparency of the crystalline lens. The histopathologic appearance of the lens capsule, anterior and equatorial lens epithelial cells, and epithelial lens bow was comparable in the eyes, without signs of cell vacuolization or disruption.

Intracameral injection of the solutions used in this study caused no localized opacity or overall change in the transparency of the crystalline lenses as observed during clinical and postmortem examinations as well as histopathologic analyses of the enucleated rabbit eyes. Viscoanesthesia may have application in phakic intraocular lens implantation.