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PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the toxicity of 6 fixed-combination drugs for glaucoma therapy using human corneal epithelial sheets (HCES). STUDY DESIGN: Experimental. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used 6 kinds of commercially available fixed-combination drugs: latanoprost/carteolol (LAT/CAR), latanoprost/timolol (LAT/TIM), tafluprost/timolol (TAF/TIM), travoprost/timolol (TRA/TIM), brinzolamide/timolol (BRZ/TIM), and dorzolamide/timolol (DRZ/TIM) including different preservatives. The cell viability and barrier function of the HCES after exposure to the eye drops for 10 or 30 minutes were assessed using the WST-1 assay and transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurements, respectively. The HCES were also evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: The cell viability significantly decreased in the HCES treated with LAT/TIM or DRZ/TIM after 10 and 30 minutes and in those treated with BRZ/TIM after 30 minutes. The barrier function increased significantly in the HCES treated with LAT/CAR. Histologically, the HCES were damaged after treatment with LAT/TIM, BRZ/TIM, or DRZ/TIM for 30 minutes. Transmission electron microscopy indicated narrow intercellular spaces and multiple intercellular junctions in the HCES treated with LAT/CAR, TAF/TIM, or TRA/TIM. The HCES treated with DRZ/TIM, BRZ/TIM, or LAT/TIM contained cytoplasmic vacuoles and collapsed cellular structures. CONCLUSION: Glaucoma fixed-combination eye drops demonstrated a different toxic effect on the cell viability, barrier function, and morphologic changes of HCES.
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8329, Japan.
Full article11.13 Combination therapy (Part of: 11 Medical treatment)
3.6 Cellular biology (Part of: 3 Laboratory methods)
2.2 Cornea (Part of: 2 Anatomical structures in glaucoma)