Cornea-soft contact lens interaction: a nuclear magnetic resonance study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biochemistry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Corneal epithelium houses over 90% of phosphorus metabolites.
• Phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR) spectroscopy is a non-invasive tool for assessing corneal metabolism.
• Soft contact lens (CL) wear can impact corneal physiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the metabolic effects of soft contact lens wear on the corneal epithelium using 31P NMR spectroscopy.
• To evaluate the impact of eye closure on corneal metabolism during CL wear.
• To assess the efficacy of glucose supplementation in mitigating CL-induced metabolic changes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 31P NMR spectroscopy to monitor phosphorus metabolite levels in the cornea.
• Compared metabolic profiles after 4 hours of soft CL wear with and without eye closure.
• Administered topical glucose solution to CL-fitted eyes and reassessed metabolic profiles.

Main Results:

• Soft CL wear for 4 hours led to a 50% reduction in adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
• ATP and phosphocreatine (PCr) levels decreased significantly when eyes were closed during CL wear.
• Topical glucose application normalized the 31P NMR spectral profile in CL-fitted eyes.

Conclusions:

• Soft contact lens wear induces significant metabolic stress in the corneal epithelium, particularly with eye closure.
• Corneal ATP and PCr levels are sensitive indicators of metabolic compromise due to CL wear.
• Glucose supplementation shows promise as a therapeutic approach to preserve corneal metabolic function during contact lens wear.