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Updated: Apr 23, 2026
Determining the Toxicity of UV Radiation and Chemicals on Primary and Immortalized Human Corneal Epithelial Cells
Published on: July 22, 2021
In Vitro Model for Predicting the Protective Effect of Ultraviolet-Blocking Contact Lens in Human Corneal Epithelial
Antonio Abengózar-Vela1, Cristina Arroyo, Roberto Reinoso
1Instituto de Oftalmobiología Aplicada (IOBA), Universidad de Valladolid , Valladolid , Spain , and.
Purpose:
To develop an in vitro method to determine the protective effect of UV-blocking contact lenses (CLs) in human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells exposed to UV-B radiation.
Materials And Methods:
SV-40-transformed HCE cells were covered with non-UV-blocking CL, UV-blocking CL or not covered, and exposed to UV-B radiation. As control, HCE cells were covered with both types of CLs or not covered, but not exposed to UV-B radiation. Cell viability at 24, 48 and 72 h, after UV-B exposure and removing CLs, was determined by alamarBlue(®) assay. Percentage of live, dead and apoptotic cells was also assessed by flow cytometry after 24 h of UV-B exposure. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production after 1 h of exposure was assessed using the dye H(2)DCF-DA.
Results:
Cell viability significantly decreased, apoptotic cells and intracellular ROS production significantly increased when UVB-exposed cells were covered with non-UV-blocking CL or not covered compared to non-irradiated cells. When cells were covered with UV-blocking CL, cell viability significantly increased and apoptotic cells and intracellular ROS production did not increase compared to exposed cells.
Conclusions:
UV-B radiation induces cell death by apoptosis, increases ROS production and decreases viable cells. UV-blocking CL is able to avoid these effects increasing cell viability and protecting HCE cells from apoptosis and ROS production induced by UV-B radiation. This in vitro model is an alternative to in vivo methods to determine the protective effect of UV-blocking ophthalmic biomaterials because it is a quicker, cheaper and reliable model that avoids the use of animals.
