ABSTRACT
To investigate the protective effect of hyaluronic acid on the corneal endothelial damage induced by perfusion with hydrogen peroxide, rabbit corneas were mounted in the in vitro dual-chambered specular microscope and perfused with glutathione-bicarbonate-ringer(GBR) solution for one hour, and test agents for additional two hours. Test agents were hydrogen acid(0.01%). and chondroitin sulfate(0.04%). Corneal thickness was measured every 15 minutes during the perfusion and a corneal swelling rate was calculated by linear regression analysis. At the end of perfusion, corneas were fixed for transmission electron microscopy(TEM). Hydrogen peroxide(0.5mM) caused marked corneal swelling white 0.25mM did not(65.95+/-8.03 vs. 6.69+/-2.58micrometer/hr). Healon prevented the H2O2 induced corneal swelling(15.85+/-2.99micrometer/hr) and maintained the endothelial ultrastructures. Viscoat enabled the corneas to deswell(-35.90+/-18.04micrometer/hr). Hyaluronic acid(0.01%) and catalase(15000U) also prevented corneal swelling induced by hydrogen peroxide(9.52+/-3.61, 4.61+/-0.99micrometer/hr respectively), and maintained the endothelial ultrastructure, however 0.04% chondroitin sulfate showed marked corneal swelling(71.73+/-2.12micrometer/hr). The results of this study showed that Healon and Viscoat containing hyaluronic acid could protect corneal endothelial cells from hydrogen peroxide.