BACKGROUNDPosterior capsule opacification (PCO) compromises vision development in infants after cataract surgery and lead to amblyopia. To observe the effects of curcumin on PCO in infant rabbits, curcumin was injected under the capaule and into the anterior chamber during phacoemulsification.

METHODSSeventy-five 1-month-old healthy New Zealand white rabbits were randomized into 3 groups, one eye of each rabbit was randomly selected to be operated. The operation involved continuous circular capsulorhexis, followed by hydrodissection with 0.6 ml each of balanced salt solution (BSS, group A), hydroxypropyl-β-dodextrin (HP-β-CD, 90 µg/ml, group B) or CUR-HP-β-CD (123 µg/ml, group C), respectively. After phacoemulsification, 0.4 ml of each drug solution was injected into the anterior chamber via an incision. The extent of corneal edema and the inflammatory response within the anterior chamber were considered as measures PCO and observed postoperatively. All eyes were examined 1 and 2 months postoperative by slit lamp microscopy and photography after pupil dilation. On the third day postoperative, 6 rabbits from each group were executed. Paraffin-embedded sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) or terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay (TUNEL, indicative of apoptosis). Stained sections were observed under light microscopy. Proliferation of lens epithelial cells (LECs) was observed microscopically on day 3, day 7, month 1 and month 2 after the operation with HE staining.

RESULTSThe remission of cornea edema occurred earlier in group C than in groups A and B (P < 0.05); there were no significant differences between groups A and B. The remission of anterior chamber exudation in group C was earlier than those in groups A and B (P < 0.05). No significant difference in the times when PCO occurred, was observed among groups. Compared to groups A and B, the extent of PCO was less severe (P < 0.05). Three days after the operation, LECs aggregated at the orbit. Meanwhile, minor apoptosis was observed in all groups. One month after the operation transparent, cortex and proliferating LECs were observed near the orbit in groups A and B. Two months postoperative, heavy cortex proliferation was observed in all groups: epithelial cells migrated and aggregated at the posterior capsule and rearranged under the anterior capsule in the control group. Proliferation was also observed in group C, but to a less severe extent than in the other two groups.

CONCLUSIONCUR-HP-β-CD exerts an inhibitory effect on PCO.

Animals ; Capsule Opacification ; drug therapy ; surgery ; Curcumin ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Male ; Phacoemulsification ; methods ; Posterior Capsule of the Lens ; surgery ; Rabbits

Posterior capsule opacification (PCO), a common complication after cataract surgery, impacts a patient's long-term visual quality to various degrees. Although a neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser posterior capsulotomy is a very effective treatment, it may lead to a serial of complications. Accordingly, the search for simple, safe, and effective methods to prevent PCO has received widespread attention. Various researchers are committed to the interdisciplinary collaboration between medicine and engineering fields, such as functionalizing the surface of the intraocular lens (IOL) via supercritical fluid impregnation, coating the surface of the IOL, high-concentration drug immersion, and application of a drug delivery system, to effectively reduce the incidence and severity of PCO.
Humans ; Capsule Opacification/surgery* ; Lens Implantation, Intraocular ; Cataract/etiology* ; Lens Capsule, Crystalline/surgery* ; Lenses, Intraocular/adverse effects* ; Treatment Outcome ; Postoperative Complications ; Prosthesis Design

PURPOSE: To evaluate the risk factors for the development of posterior capsule opacification (PCO) after cataract surgery or combined cataract and vitreoretinal surgery. METHODS: In the present study all surgical procedures were performed by the same surgeon. We retrospectively reviewed 272 consecutive eyes that received cataract surgery or combined cataract and vitreoretinal surgery. The risk factors including gender, age, diabetes, continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) size, intraocular lens shape, intraoperative intravitreal bevacizumab, gas, and silicone oil injections were evaluated using multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: PCO developed in 55 (20.2%) out of 272 eyes. The mean age was 63.3 +/- 12.1 years (range 23-85 years) and mean follow-up period was 17.3 +/- 3 months. A correlation existed between the development of the PCO and age (p < 0.05), CCC size (p = 0.009), vitreoretinal surgery (p = 0.014), intraoperative intravitreal gas (p = 0.009) and silicone oil injections (p = 0.005). However, no statistical correlation with gender, diabetes, intraocular lens shape, or intraoperative intravitreal bevacizumab injection was observed (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The risk factors associated with PCO included young age, large CCC size, combined cataract and vitreoretinal surgery, intraoperative intravitreal gas and silicone oil injections.
Capsule Opacification* ; Capsulorhexis ; Cataract* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Logistic Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Silicone Oils ; Vitreoretinal Surgery* ; Bevacizumab