Abstract

P 199

PuriProtect® – a new neuroprotective irrigation solution for vitrectomy?

Maximilian Schultheiss, Hannah Ruschenburg, Martin Stephan Spitzer, Max Warga, Kai Januschowski, Karl Ulrich Bartz-Schmidt, Peter Szurman
Universitäts-Augenklinik Tübingen

Objective
Retinal damage can be induced iatrogenically during vitreoretinal surgery. Risk factors are light-toxicity by endoillumination, chemical-toxicity by the irrigation-solution and mechanical damage by intraoperative alterations of the retina. PuriProtect® (Zeiss) is a new irrigation solution, which will be introduced to the market this year. Its composition is basically the same like Balanced Salt Solution (BSS©, Alcon) except that of 3mM taurine is added. taurine is essential for the surviving of the retina. Up to now no investigations have been performed whether PuriProtect© in comparison to BSS® is neuroprotective or not.
Methods
We investigated the effect of BSS® and PruriProtect® on the function and survival of retinal ganglion cells (RGC-5) in cell-culture (incubation for 2h with the irrigation solutions) and in whole-mount-preparations of bovine eyes (incubation for 2h with the irrigation solutions). For additional stress induction 12mM (RGC-5 cell culture) or 250µM glutamate (retinal whole mount) was added during incubation with the irrigation-solutions. To evaluate mitochondrial function and survival of RGCs MTT-test and Live/Dead® staining was used.
Results
Without the addition of glutamate there was no difference in mitochondrial activity of RGC-5 cells when irrigated with BSS® or PuriProtect®. However, after induction of additional stress with 12mM glutamate a highly significant difference in mitochondrial activity was observed. In the whole-mount-preparations Puriprotect® showed a significant protective effect even without the addition of 250µM glutamate, which could be enhaced by adding 250µM glutamate.
Conclusions
PuriProtect® irrigation solution has neuroprotective properties, especially in blocking glutamate induced excitotoxicity. Elevated glutamate-level can be encountered during hypoxia, in retinal detachment, during endoillumination or other conditions. Therefore PuriProtect® may prevent iatrogenically induced death of retinal ganglion cells during vitrectomy or other states of ongoing damage e.g. during retinal detachement.

Copyright: 2009 Porstmann Kongresse GmbH. All rights reserved. Impressum, Disclaimer.