[Evaluation of experimental proliferative vitreoretinopathy in rabbits]

We established an effective animal experimental model for proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) by intravitreally injecting cultured cells in order to investigate therapies for PVR, including intravitreal drugs, radiation and hyperthermia. After making posterior vitreal separation by injecting SF6 gas into the rabbit's vitreous body, cultured cells were intravitreally injected. Fundus changes were followed up for 4 weeks and PVR stage was recorded according to the classification described by Hida et al. The cultured cells injected were rabbit dermal fibroblasts (5 x 10(4) and 10 x 10(4) and human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells (5 x 10(4]. A total of 37% of animals reached STAGE 5-7 (traction retinal detachment) in 4 weeks in 41 eyes injected with 5 x 10(4) rabbit fibroblasts and were 86% in 14 eyes injected with 10 x 10(4) rabbit fibroblasts. The 10 eyes injected with human RPE cells showed STAGE 2 or less in 4 weeks. Consequently, we selected the experimental PVR model using injecting of 10 x 10(4) rabbit fibroblasts as the most effective method.