RESUMO
· AIM: To investigate the effects of different intraocular anesthetics on rabbit cornea endothelial cells in vitro.· METHODS: The excised rabbit corneae were treated with 10g/L lidocaine or 10g/L xylocaine for different durations. The morphological change was studied under a light microscope using dual staining of Typan-blue and Alizarine-red, and under a scanning electric microscope as well. The cornea endothelial cell (CEC) lost rate was calculated by computerized image analysis system.(Metamorph Image System V 4.6, Olympus Japan).· RESULTS: ①The CEC lost rate in 10g/L lidocaine groups for different durations was(0.91±0.12)%, (1.23±0.27)%, (2.42±0.31)% and (3.61±0.14)% respectively;while in 10g/L xylocaine groups was (0.68±0.16)%,(0.89±0.17)%, (1.84±0.34)% and (2.58±0.34)%, respectively. The difference was significant (P＜0.05, P ＜0.01); ②The action duration of intraocular anesthetics was positively related to the CEC lost rate, the correlative coefficient was 0.974 in 10g/L lidocaine groups,0.976 in 10g/L xylocaine groups; ③ The damage on CEC caused by 10g/L lidocaine was severer than that of 10g/L xylocaine.· CONCLUSIONS: Intraocular anesthetics may cause damage on CEC. Compared with lidocaine, the preservants-free xylocaine was safer.