ABSTRACT
Meshed pigmented iris epithelium along with neural retina of tadpoles of the frog Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis were found to undergo dedifferentiation and subsequently transdifferentiate into lens in culture medium. During lag period, depigmentation (dedifferentiation) occurred in many cells. When culture became confluent 3-4 weeks after seeding tiny lens like structures differentiated from foci of cultured pigmented iris epithelium cells. The percentage of lens formation was higher in vitamin A treated cases. The culture system appears to be a suitable for investigating the changes occurred during trans-differentiation of pigmented epithelial cells into lens.
Subject(s)
Animals , Cell Transdifferentiation/drug effects , Iris/cytology , Iris/drug effects , Larva/cytology , Larva/growth & development , Lens, Crystalline/cytology , Lens, Crystalline/drug effects , Lens, Crystalline/growth & development , Pigment Epithelium of Eye/cytology , Pigment Epithelium of Eye/drug effects , Ranidae/anatomy & histology , Ranidae/growth & development , Tissue Culture Techniques , Vitamin A/pharmacologyABSTRACT
The pattern and morphology of cellular infiltration of iris melanocytes implanted into the corneal stroma were studied with a rabbit corneal model. Iris melanocytes are transformed into fibroblast-like cells with a loss of pigment granules, which may reflect the in vivo characteristics of iris melanocytes under pathologic conditions. The metaplastic chararter of iris melanocytes appears to be related to the formation of retrocorneal pigmentation and fibrous membrane.