Biocompatibility of fibrin sealant and human corneal fibroblasts

Objective

To study the biocompatibility of fibrin sealant (FS) and human corneal fibroblasts (HCFs) obtained by small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE).

Methods

The human corneal stromal tissues were selected from corneal stromal lens in 24 eyes of 12 patients underwent SMILE in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from March to April 2018.HCFs were isolated and cultured in vitro within 1 hour after the corneal stromal lens were extracted and the growth status of HCFs on FS surface was observed.HCFs were divided into 2-fold leaching solution group and normal control group, and the cells in the two groups were treated with 2-fold leaching solution or complete medium according to grouping, respectively.The apoptosis of HCFs in the two groups was observed by acridine orange (AO)/ethidium bromide (EB) double staining.The proliferation of HCFs in the two groups was assayed by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method.HCFs in logarithmic phase were divided into 2-fold leaching solution group, normal control group, and the cells were treated with 2-fold leaching solution or complete medium according to grouping, respectively.In addition, a blank control group without HCFs was also set and treated with complete medium.The absorbance value and relative growth rate of HCFs in the three groups were compared.HCFs in logarithmic phase were divided into 1-fold leaching solution group, 2-fold leaching solution group and normal control group, and the cells were treated with 1-fold leaching solution, 2-fold leaching solution or complete medium culture according to grouping, respectively.The apoptosis of HCFs in the three groups was compared by Annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometry, and the cytotoxicity of the three groups was graded.Written informed consent was obtained from each patient before the operation.The study protocol adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University (No.2018[022]).

Results

HCFs grew well on FS surface and the morphology was normal.MTT assay showed that HCFs in the 2-fold leaching solution group and the normal control group had a similar proliferation tendency, and the toxicity index of HCFs in the 2-fold leaching solution group was graded 0-1 at 0-72 hours after changing solution.After AO/EB staining, the HCFs in the 2-fold leaching solution group and the normal control group were normal, and only a small amount of early apoptotic cells were observed.Flow cytometry showed that the apoptosis rates of the normal control group, once leaching solution group and the double leaching solution group were (4.96±1.09)%, (3.66±1.35)% and (2.88±0.66)%, respectively, with no significant difference among them (F=2.89, P=0.13).

Conclusions

FS has no cytotoxicity and has good biocompatibility with HCFs in vitro.

Fibrin sealant; Corneal fibroblasts; Corneal perforation; Biocompatibility; Proliferation; Apoptosis