Effect of Aclacinomycin A on in vitro cultures of porcine lens epithelial cells

As a potential drug for the prevention of secondary cataract formation (SCF), we investigated the effect of Aclacinomycin A (ACM) on the growth of cultures of porcine lens epithelial cells in vitro. ACM is an anthracycline that has been used in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia in the human for many years. It has been shown to be non-mutagenic and non-carcinogenic in in vitro and in animal models. Subconfluent cell cultures were exposed to different concentrations of ACM for 5 minutes. The drug effect was evaluated by cell counts after Various lengths of culture time (between 1 and 10 weeks). No cells survived the treatment with 12 or 16 mu g ml(-1). Cultures treated with concentrations between 0.5 and 8 mu g ml(-1) showed a marked decrease in cell number when compared to controls. However, reproliferation occurred at concentration up to 8 mu g ml(-1) after 2-6 weeks. Intraocular application of ACM might be suitable in the prevention of SCF. However, with regard to reproliferation, long-term cultures (or longterm animal models, respectively) have to be used in further evaluating the appropriate dosage for this purpose. (C) 1998 Academic Press Limited.