Effects on the Surrounding Tissues and Morphological Changes of Cellular Components after Implantation of PMMA and Heparin Surface Modified PMMA Intraocular Lens in Rabbit Eyes

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to evaluate cellular response and morphological changes of the cells on the intraocular lens(IOL) implanted according to the progress of time, and to identify the basic mechanism of IOL adaptation to tissue reaction in the implanted eye by comparing polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA) IOL with heparin surface modified PMMA IOL. ECCE using Healon(R) was done in thirty-six eyes of thirty six rabbits. A heparinsurface modified IOL was implanted in 18 eyes(Group I) while PMMA IOL into another 18 eyes(Group II). Corneal thickness and endothelial cell density were measured for three months. Postoperatively, eyes were enucleated and cytopathologic examination of cells on the surface of the IOL and their ultrastructual changes were observed with light and scanning microscope at various points of time. This finding of present study suggested heparin surface modified PMMA IOL reduced the degree of endothelial cell damage, postoperative tissue reaction and pigment deposits on the surface of the IOL. These were statistically significant. The most important cell was considered to be the macrophage for the adaptation of IOL in the eye and they gradually changes into fibroblast-like cell, giant cell and disappeared finally after forming acellular membrane on the IOL.