Cultured Morphology by Tissue types of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Transplanted onto the Bruch's Membrane

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To compare the cultured morphology of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells which were transplanted onto the Bruch's membrane (BM) in different tissue types. METHODS: Cultured porcine RPE cells were harvested in three types of transplants single cell (SC) suspension, cell cluster (CC) suspension and cell sheet (CS). After RPE cell transplants were plated onto the porcine BM explants at three different cell concentrations, they were dissected and examined with a transmission electron microscope and a scanning electron microscope at 1 day, 3 days, and 1, 2 and 4 weeks for morphological study. RESULTS: All types of RPE transplants were grown and proliferated well on BM and required a shorter time to reach confluence with higher cell concentration. Although CC transplants took a little longer to reach confluence on BM than SC transplants, they were nevertheless well grown on BM and showed good cellular morphology in monolayer. The time to confluence was much longer for the CS transplants than for the SC and CC transplants and the proliferated cells tended to be large, flat and to have scanty microvilli on the cell surface with reaching peripheral portion of confluent cell layers. CONCLUSIONS: CC suspension may be a better candidate for RPE transplantation in the case of using cultured RPE cells as transplant.