Efficacy of 5-Fluorouracil and Mitomycin-C on Glaucoma Filtration Surgery in Rabbits

ABSTRACT

Antimetabolites, 5-fluorouracil(5-FU) and mitomycin-C(MMC), are used to promote the success rate of the glaucoma filtration surgery(GFS). The authors observed and compared the duration of bleb formation and complications by slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and the inhibition of fibroblast proliferation and of fibrosis by light microscopy following GFS in 4 group rabbits. One hundred and twenty rabbits comprised in this study were divided into four groups; the first control group(I) was the balanced salt solution soaked group(BSS) during GFS, the second(II) was the 5-FU subconjunctival injected group(5-FU SC) after GFS, the third(III) was the 5-FU soaked group(5-FU) during GFS, and the fourth(IV) was the MMC soaked group(MMC) during GFS. For the maintenance of bleb formation, MMC, 5-FU SC, 5-FU and BSS group showed 0%, 26.7%, 16.7%, 100% at the 1 month after GFS, and 0%, 0%, 0%, 73.3% at the 2 months after GFS, respectively, which suggested that MMC group lasted longest. The inhibition of fibrosis and fibroblast proliferation became higher in the order of MMC, 5-FU, 5-FU SC, BSS group at 2 weeks after the surgery. At 3 months after GFS, there was no conspicuous statistic difference(P>0.05) between 5-FU SC and 5-FU group, but some differences(P<0.001) in the rest groups. From these results, we concluded that antimetabolites such as 5-FU and MMC could be used effectively in cases of poor prognosis of GFS. However, the dosage and application method of antimetabolites should be considered very carefully and further research will be necessary to find out the optimal dosage with minimum toxicity.