1.Anti-scarring effect of rapamycin in rabbits following glaucoma filtering surgery.
Xin KANG ; Ying SHEN ; Haixia ZHAO ; Zhaoge WANG ; Wenying GUAN ; Ruichun GE ; Ruifang WANG ; Xue TAI
Journal of Southern Medical University 2018;38(11):1389-1394
OBJECTIVE:
To study the anti- scarring effect of rapamycin in rabbits receiving glaucoma filtering surgery.
METHODS:
Ninety-six Chinchilla rabbits were randomized equally into 3 rapamycin treatment groups and one control group. All the rabbits underwent trabeculectomy, after which the rabbits in the 3 rapamycin groups were treated with eye drops containing 1%, 3%, or 5% rapamycin in the operated eyes, and those in the control groups were given castor oil 4 times a day. The intraocular pressure (IOP) and inflammatory reaction in the treated eyes were observed, and the PCNA-positive cells in the filtering bleb were detected using immunohistochemistry. RTFs isolated from the Tenon's capsule of the rabbits were cultured , and the expressions of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 in the fibroblasts were detected after treatment with different concentrations of rapamycin.
RESULTS:
The IOP was significantly lower in rapamycin-treated group than in the control group after the surgery ( < 0.05). The counts of the PCNA-positive cells were significantly lower in rapamycin-treated rabbits than in the control group ( < 0.05). Rapamycin treatment dose-dependently increased the expressions of caspase-3 and caspase- 9 at both the mRNA ( < 0.001) and protein ( < 0.001) levels without causing significant changes in the expressions of caspase-8.
CONCLUSIONS
Rapamycin can inhibit excessive proliferation of the fibroblasts in the filtering bleb to reduce scar formation after glaucoma filtration surgery in rabbits. Rapamycin also increases the expressions of caspase-3 and caspase-9 to induce apoptosis of the RTFs.
Animals
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Caspase 3
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metabolism
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Caspase 9
;
metabolism
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Cell Proliferation
;
drug effects
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Cicatrix
;
prevention & control
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Filtering Surgery
;
adverse effects
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Glaucoma
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surgery
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Intraocular Pressure
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Postoperative Complications
;
enzymology
;
prevention & control
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Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen
;
analysis
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Rabbits
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Random Allocation
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Sirolimus
;
therapeutic use
;
Trabeculectomy