Tea tree oil influence on human keratocytes growth and viability.

Tea tree oil (TTO) is used in ophthalmology to maintain healthy eyelid skin and to combat parasitic eyelid infections. Keratocytes belong to the structure of the corneal stoma and enable to maintain corneal homeostasis. TTO that reaches the surface of the eye in too high concentration may disturb the functions of these cells. The aim of the study was to test what concentration of TTO is safe for corneal keratocytes in vitro without causing a toxic effect. A normal human keratocytes (HK) cell line was used in the study. Morphology was visualized by light and fluorescence microscopy, cytometric analysis of the cell cycle and cytometric and spectrophotometric viability evaluation were performed. The level of nitric oxide was tested by Griess spectrophotometric method. TTO concentrations exceeding 0.01% significantly reduced cell viability. The IC50 values were on average 0.057%. Increasing TTO concentrations stimulated HK cells to release NOx. The observed values did not exceed 1 µM. The lowest TTO concentration increased the number of HK cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Increasing TTO concentrations (≥0.1%) increased the number of cells in late apoptosis. TTO at concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 0.5% significantly changed cell morphology. Fluorescence analyzes confirmed that TTO at concentrations ≥0.1% induced apoptotic cell death. TTO exerts strong effect on ocular keratocytes depending on applied concentration. Concentrations exceeding 0.1% have a toxic effect on keratocytes, which die mainly by apoptosis. The ocular surface should be protected from excessive exposure to TTO, which may damage corneal stroma cells.

Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide Suppresses Expression of Fibrotic Proteins in Primary Human Corneal Fibroblasts.

(1) Objective: To study the anti-fibrotic effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) on corneal stromal fibroblasts and assess LBP's effect on cell viability. (2) Methods: Primary human corneal keratocytes of passage 3 to 6 were used for all experiments. Cells are pretreated with LBP solution for 24 h and then transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFß1) for 48 h and collected for experiments. Fibrotic protein analysis was performed using immunofluorescence and Western blot. The effect of LBP on cell viability was assessed using the MTS assay. (3) Results: LBP significantly reduced the expression of fibrotic proteins, including α-SMA and extracellular matrix proteins (collagen type I and III). LBP significantly decreased the viability of myofibroblasts but not the fibroblasts. Conclusions: In this study, LBP was effective in the prevention of fibrosis gene expression. Further studies to assess the underlying mechanism and pharmacological properties will facilitate the formation of a topical LBP solution for in vivo studies.

Effect of Keratocyte Supernatant on Epithelial Cell Migration and Proliferation After Corneal Crosslinking (CXL).

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of keratocyte supernatant (harvesting time, riboflavin concentration and UV-A-light illumination) on migration and proliferation of human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) by CXL, in vitro. METHODS: Primary human keratocytes isolated from 8 normal and 6 keratoconus corneas were cultured. Thereafter, keratocytes in 0%, 0.05% or 1% riboflavin solution were split into samples without and with 370 nm UVA-light-illumination. After removal of the riboflavin solution, keratocytes were incubated in the mentioned keratocyte culture medium at 37 °C and keratocyte supernatant was harvested after 5 and 24 hours. Keratocyte supernatant without riboflavin and UVA treatment, was used as control. HCECs were cultured until reaching confluence, the HCEC culture medium was replaced by the keratocyte supernatant and HCEC migration was analyzed using the wound-healing assay. HCEC proliferation was determined by the cell proliferation ELISA BrdU (colorimetric) kit. Statistical analysis was performed using a linear mixed model in the framework of a Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) approach to analyze the effect of harvesting time, riboflavin concentration and UV-A-light illumination using IBM-SPSS version 22. RESULTS: Riboflavin concentration, UVA-light illumination and harvesting time of normal or keratoconus keratocyte supernatant had no significant impact on HCEC proliferation (p > 0.10). Riboflavin concentration did not show significant impact on HCEC migration using normal or keratoconus keratocyte supernatant (p > 0.10), however, longer harvesting time of normal or keratoconus keratocyte supernatant significantly increased (p = 0.01 for both) and UVA-light illumination of keratoconus keratocyte supernatant (p < 0.001) significantly decreased HCEC migration. CONCLUSION: Harvesting time, riboflavin concentration and UV-A-light illumination of normal and keratoconus keratocyte cultures has no impact on proliferation of HCECs, in the short term. However, 24 hours harvesting time (both for normal and keratoconus keratocytes) increases and UVA-light-illumination of keratoconus keratocyte cultures decreases HCEC migration.

Impact of crosslinking/riboflavin-UVA-photodynamic inactivation on viability, apoptosis and activation of human keratocytes in vitro.

Riboflavin-UVA photodynamic inactivation is a potential treatment alternative in therapy resistant infectious keratitis. The purpose of our study was to determine the impact of riboflavin-UVA photodynamic inactivation on viability, apoptosis and activation of human keratocytes in vitro. Primary human keratocytes were isolated from human corneal buttons and cultured in DMEM/Ham's F12 medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum. Keratocytes underwent UVA light illumination (375 nm) for 4.10 minutes (2 J/cm²) during exposure to different concentrations of riboflavin. Twenty-four hours after treatment, cell viability was evaluated photometrically, whereas apoptosis, CD34 and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression were assessed using flow cytometry. We did not detect significant changes in cell viability, apoptosis, CD34 and α-SMA expression in groups only treated with riboflavin or UVA light. In the group treated with riboflavin-UVA-photodynamic inactivation, viability of keratocytes decreased significantly at 0.1% riboflavin (P<0.01) while the percentage of CD34 (P<0.01 for both 0.05% and 0.1% riboflavin) and alpha-SMA positive keratocytes (P<0.01 and P<0.05 for 0.05% and 0.1% riboflavin, respectively) increased significantly compared to the controls. There was no significant change in the percentage of apoptotic keratocytes compared to controls at any of the used riboflavin concentrations (P=0.09 and P=0.13). We concluded that riboflavin-UVA-photodynamic-inactivation decreases viability of myofibroblastic transformation and multipotent haematopoietic stem cell transformation; however, it does not have an impact on apoptosis of human keratocytes in vitro.

Effects of heat-treatment on plasma rich in growth factors-derived autologous eye drop.

We have developed and characterized a new type of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) derived eye-drop therapy for patients suffering from autoimmune diseases. To determine the concentration of several growth factors, proteins, immunoglobulins and complement activity of the heat-inactivated eye-drop and to study its biological effects on cell proliferation and migration of different ocular surface cells, blood from healthy donors was collected, centrifuged and PRGF was prepared avoiding the buffy coat. The half volume of the obtained plasma supernatant from each donor was heat-inactivated at 56 °C for 1 h (heat-inactivated PRGF). The concentration of several proteins involved on corneal wound healing, immunoglubolins G, M and E and functional integrity of the complement system assayed by CH50 test were determined. The proliferative and migratory potential of inactivated and non-inactivated PRGF eye drops were assayed on corneal epithelial cells (HCE), keratocytes (HK) and conjunctival fibroblasts (HConF). Heat-inactivated PRGF preserves the content of most of the proteins and morphogens involved in its wound healing effects while reduces drastically the content of IgE and complement activity. Heat-inactivated PRGF eye drops increased proliferation and migration potential of ocular surface cells with regard to PRGF showing significant differences on proliferation and migration rate of HCE and HConF respectively. In summary, heat-inactivation of PRGF eye drops completely reduced complement activity and deceased significantly the presence of IgE, maintaining the biological activity of PRGF on ocular surface cells.