Effect of intraocular lens design on migration of lens epithelial cells onto the posterior capsule

Purpose: To find the conditions that prevent posterior capsule opacification through in vitro analysis of the relationship between intraocular lens (IOL) optic configuration and lens epithelial cell (LEG) migration. Setting: Division of Morphogenesis, Department of Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan. Methods: In a preliminary experiment, we measured the size of the capsular bag of rabbits at 8, 16, 20, and 26 weeks of age. The size of a 20-week-old capsular bag was the same size as the capsular bag in senescent Japanese eyes. We isolated the capsular bags in 20- and 8-week-old rabbits. The bags along with a biconvex (BC), convex-piano (CP), or no IOL (C) were cultured, and the eyes were divided into one of six groups (8W-C, 8W-BC, 8W-CP, 20W-C, 20W-BC and 20W-CP), each including six specimens. Results: Two specimens in the 8W-CP group completely blocked LEC migration at the optic edge. All specimens in the 20W-CP group and one in the 20W-BC group showed cell aggregation along the optic edge, None of the other specimens in the BC and C groups blocked migration or showed cell aggregation. Conclusions: In the rabbit-model study, the convex-piano lens was superior to the biconvex lens in inhibiting migration of LECs. A firm contact between the IOL and the posterior capsule blocked the migration.