Inflammatory mediators in postoperative aphakic and pseudophakic baboon eyes
K. Miyake, H. Mibu, M. Horiguchi and E. Shirasawa
Shohzankai Medical Foundation, Miyake Eye Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
We measured prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4 in the aqueous humor of
baboon eyes, 1 or 8 days after phacoemulsification, with or without
posterior chamber lens implantation. We also evaluated the effects of
steroid eye drops and cyclooxygenase inhibitor eye drops on the synthesis
of these mediators of inflammation. Eyes that had undergone
phacoemulsification showed significant elevation of prostaglandin E2 at
both postoperative periods compared with normal, phakic control eyes. The
level of prostaglandin E2 was significantly (P less than .05) higher in
eyes with posterior chamber lens implantation than in those without it, and
was significantly (P less than .05) higher on the eighth than on the first
postoperative day. The amount of leukotriene B4 was below the detection
limit, except in the few eyes in which complications developed.
Cyclooxygenase inhibitor eye drops significantly reduced the amount of
prostaglandin E2 on both postoperative days, while steroid eye drops had no
such effect.
