Purpose: Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is a common complication following cataract surgery. PCO is believed to arise from residual lens cells. However, another potential source is stem/progenitor cells from the surrounding ciliary body. In culture, ciliary body cells can differentiate into lentoids, clusters of cells with lens fiber-like features. We investigated the effects of FGF2, a growth factor which is present in the vitreous and known to promote lens cell differentiation, on lentoid formation in cultured chicken ciliary body cells.
Methods: Embryonic (E6-E8) chicken ciliary body cells were dissociated and plated on plastic dishes in M199 with 10% serum and 1% penicillin/streptomycin/amphotericin B. Media changes were supplemented with FGF2 (20-100 ng/ml) 1-6 times. Cultures were processed for immunofluorescence or immunoblots with antibodies to chicken fiber cell proteins AQP0 and filensin. ä-crystallin was monitored in Coomassie stained gels.
Results: Lentoids formed in FGF2-supplemented ciliary body cultures after 3-5 weeks. More FGF2 treatments (5-6) and higher concentrations of FGF2 (50-100ng) resulted in the formation of more lentoids and the production of higher levels of the fiber cell proteins ä-crystallin, AQP0 and filensin. Few or no lentoids formed in unsupplemented control ciliary body cultures; AQP0 and filensin were not detected in immunoblots of control ciliary body cultures.
Conclusion: FGF2 media supplementation enhanced the formation of lentoids in embryonic chicken ciliary body cultures. Cells from the ciliary body have the potential to contribute to PCO.