Injury response of human lens epithelial cells ex-vivo

This study investigates the response of human lens epithelial cells to mechanical injury. Human geriatric lenses obtained from cadaver eyes from donated to an eye bank for research were subject to in-vitro capsulotomy mimicking the injury sustained during cataract surgery. The anterior capsule was dissected using a curvilinear capsulorhexis technique, and central lens epithelial cells attached to the patch of anterior capsule (Rhexis) were immediately stabilized in RNAlater. The fiber cells were then removed, and the cortical fibers were immediately stabilized in RNA later. The remaining equatorial lens epithelial cells attached to the capsular bag from one eye were stabilized in RNA later immediately while the equatorial lens epithelial cells from the other eye were cultured for 24 hours then stabilized in RNAlater. 6 Lenses from 3 human donors, each donor provided 2 lenses. For each donor, one lens capsule was analyzed at zero hours (lens "a") and the second lens capsule was analyzed at 24 hours (lens "b"). One patch of anterior capsule (Rhexis), and one sample of cortical fibers were analyzed at 0 hours for each donor, the corresponding lens is marked "a" or "b".