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. 1998 Aug;82(8):945–952. doi: 10.1136/bjo.82.8.945

Lens epithelial cell proliferation, migration, and metaplasia following capsulorhexis

L Saxby 1, E Rosen 1, M Boulton 1
PMCID: PMC1722713  PMID: 9828783

Abstract

AIM—To study the behaviour of residual lens epithelial cells after capsulorhexis and expression of material from the isolated lens.
METHODS—Human and bovine lens capsules were isolated, sterile non-toxic silicone rings inserted, and the preparations placed in organ culture for up to 12 weeks. Cell coverage of the posterior lens capsule was recorded and the capsules were examined, both pre- and post-coverage, for (a) proliferative activity and (b) cytoskeletal components.
RESULTS—After a lag period outgrowth was observed across the posterior capsule. The rate of cell coverage was dependent upon both species and the presence or absence of serum. The proliferative activity of the cells was greatest at or near the leading edge and decreased once covered. Wrinkles became visible in the posterior capsule during the late stages of pre-coverage and increased in both number and complexity. All cells on both the human and bovine posterior capsules contained F-actin and vimentin and the majority were immunolabelled for α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA).
CONCLUSIONS—This model exhibits many of the in vivo characteristics of the lens capsule after extracapsular surgery and may prove useful in further elucidating the cellular mechanisms of posterior capsule opacification.

 Keywords: lens epithelial cells; posterior capsule opacification; capsulorrhexis

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Figure 1  .

Figure 1  

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Bovine lens capsule with a silicone ring inserted. Immediately after insertion the capsule was clear (A) but after 8 weeks in serum containing culture opacification was evident (B). Magnification ×2.5.

Figure 2  .

Figure 2  

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Graph showing the rate of coverage of bovine and human posterior capsules. The bovine data represent an average of results obtained for 18 capsules cultured in 20% FCS and three capsules in 0% FCS. The human data represent the average results obtained for 12 pairs of capsules, one of each pair in serum containing medium and the other in serum free medium. Vertical bars represent SEM.

Figure 3  .

Figure 3  

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Histological sections of bovine (A, C, E) and human (B, D, F) posterior capsules at the different times of coverage; initial coverage as a monolayer (A, B), formation of multilayers (C, D), and wrinkling of the posterior capsule (E, F). Capsules were maintained in serum containing medium. Sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Original magnification A, C, and E ×143; B, D, and F ×570.

Figure 4  .

Figure 4  

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Proliferative activity of cells in the different regions of the bovine (A) and human (B) posterior capsule. The data represent the average of results obtained from six bovine and six human capsules in serum containing medium at approximately 50% coverage. Recordings were taken from the leading edge in three different regions of each capsule. Vertical bars represent SEM.

Figure 5  .

Figure 5  

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Localisation of vimentin (A), cytokeratin (B), F-actin (C, D), and α-SMA (E-H) in cells on the bovine (A, B, C, G, H) and human (D, E, F) posterior capsules at varying stages of coverage. All cells contained vimentin (A) but cytokeratin was absent (B). All cells stained for F-actin; microfilaments were polarised along the length of the cells at the leading edge (C) and cells away from the leading edge had a perinuclear basket of F-actin (D). α-SMA was randomly distributed in the pre-covered capsules (E) and found throughout the multilayers of the human post-covered capsules (F). In the post-covered bovine capsules α-SMA was present in all fibroblast-like cells (G) and throughout the multilayers although occasionally localised predominantly to the surface layers of the posterior capsule (H). Capsules were maintained in serum containing medium. Original magnification of A, B, D, H ×143, C ×160, E, F × 570, G ×64.

Selected References

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