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Updated: May 13, 2026
Development of a Noninvasive, Laser-Assisted Experimental Model of Corneal Endothelial Cell Loss
Published on: April 24, 2020
The effect of temperature of eye irrigation solution to reduce corneal endothelial cell loss during
Wanlaya Uthaisang-Tanechpongtamb1, Wiroj Limtrakarn, Somporn Reepolmaha
1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand. wanlaya@swu.ac.th
Objective:
To compare the efficiency of eye irrigation solution (balanced salt solution: BSS) stored in a refrigerator and air-conditioned room to reduce the number of corneal endothelial cell loss during the process of phacoemulsification.
Material And Method:
Porcine corneal endothelial cells (PCEC) isolated from porcine eyes were used as a model. The porcine eyes were obtained from a local slaughterhouse within 6 h after death and PCEC were cultured as standard method. The percentage of cell survival was evaluated by MTT assay.
Results:
The PCEC was successfully grown in the standard culturing system. The growth curve of PCEC demonstrated that log phase was reached in 3-6 days. The evaluation of heat effect (40-60 degrees C) to PCEC survival was shown that cells death was found at 55 and 60 degrees C which the percentage of cell survival reduced to 30% at 60 degrees C, 180 sec. Further observation on the efficiency of BSS stored in different conditions, refrigeration (8 degrees C) and air-conditioned room (25 degrees C) to PCEC survival was revealed that the number of cell survival increased from 40% to almost 70% when using refrigerated BSS as irrigation solution, while from air-conditioned BSS only at 55%.
Conclusion:
From using PCEC as a model and mimic the process of irrigation in phacoemulsification, it was found that the eye irrigation solution (balanced salt solution: BSS) stored in the refrigerator had a better result in helping protection the corneal endothelial cell loss from heat damaged than BSS stored in air-conditioned room.
