Influence of retinoic acid on human lens epithelial cells

Objective To investigate the possible mechanisms of retinoic acid (RA) in inhibiting the posterior capsular opacification (PCO) by observing the characteristic changes of human lens epithelial cells (hLECs) treated with RA.Methods The cells used in test are hLECs of passage two to five.The morphological features of the hLECs were recorded with inverse microscopy.The effects of RA on hLECs' proliferation were evaluated by MTT assay,and the inhibited ratios were calculated.The expressions of integrin β_1 and vimentin were detected with immunofluorescent microscopy.Results 1×10~(-8)～1×10~(-6) mol·L~(-1) group showed more epithelial cells and less fibroblastic ones,while 1×10~(-5) mol·L~(-1) group showed the decrease in both the two kinds of cells by microscopy.MTT assay showed that 1×10~(-7)～1×10~(-5) mol·L~(-1) RA inhibited the proliferation of the hLECs.The inhibition was concentration-dependent and time-dependent (F-test,(P)0.05).The inhibition ratios were between 10.8% and 32.0%.In the 1×10~(-6)～(1×10~(-5) mol·L~(-1)) group,the positive expression of integrin β_1 was higher (x~2-test,P0.05),and vimentin fiber spread well all over the cells in (1×10~(-7)～)1×10~(-5) mol·L~(-1) groups.Conclusion The inhibition of RA on hLECs' proliferation results from both the suppression on fibroblastic cells and the promotion to epithelial ones.But suppresive effect is much stronger than promotive effect.RA may function through integrin-mediated pathway.