Povidone-iodine application induces corneal cell death through fixation

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Cell Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Povidone-iodine (PI) is a common preoperative disinfectant.
• PI exhibits cytotoxic effects, necessitating investigation into its cell death mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mechanism of cell death induced by Povidone-iodine (PI).
• To determine if PI causes cell death via fixation or necrosis in corneal cells.

Main Methods:

• Human corneal fibroblasts (HCF) and epithelial cells (HCEC) were treated with varying PI concentrations.
• Assessed cell morphology, growth, enzyme activities (WST-1, calcein-acetoxymethylester), membrane integrity, DNA integrity, and resistance to SDS lysis.
• Measured IL-8 secretion using ELISA after stimulation with IL-1ß or LPS.

Main Results:

• PI inhibited HCF and HCEC cell growth and abolished enzyme activities and membrane integrity.
• PI-treated cells showed DNA integrity similar to alcohol-fixed cells and resistance to SDS lysis.
• PI treatment abolished IL-1ß- and LPS-induced IL-8 secretion.

Conclusions:

• Povidone-iodine induces cell death in corneal stromal and epithelial cells through fixation.
• The mechanism of PI-induced cell death is fixation, not necrosis, at effective concentrations.