Effect of Intracameral Mitomycin-C Irrigation on ERG in Rabbit

ABSTRACT

Mitomycin-C(MMC) has been increasingly used as adjunct chemotherapy during glaucoma filtering surgery in order to increase the success rate, because of its ability to inhibit the proliferation of fibroblast. Although MMC demonstrates toxic effects in the anterior segment of the eye, few studies on its retinal toxicity have been reported. Therefore, this study was performed to investigate the retinal toxicity of MMC in the rabbit after intra cameral irrigation. After anesthesia, 1 ml of MMC(40 mg/ml) was intracamerally irrigated in right eye and 1ml of balanced salt solution(BSS) was used as control in the left eye. The electroretinogram was checked before, 2 and 7 days after intracameral MMC irrigation. The fundus examination and histopathology by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were performed at 7days after MMC irrigation. On electroretinogram, scotopic b-wave amplitude in MMC irrigated eye was significantly decreased 7 days after irrigation as compared with BSS irrigated eye. The retina in MMC irrigated eye was normal on the fundus findings and histopathology by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy 7 days after irrigation. This findings suggest that intracameral irrigation of MMC may induce the functional disturbance rather than structural alteration of retina.