Effects of antibiotics and corticosteroid eyedrops on cellular proliferation in cultured human corneal keratocytes.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of antibiotics and glucocorticoid eyedrops, including gentamicin, sulfisomezole, fluorometholone, dexamethasone, and betamethasone, on cellular proliferation in cultured human corneal keratocytes. Human corneal keratocytes were cultured in RPMI-1640 containing 10% fetal bovine serum. Drugs were prepared from original concentrations to 1/10, 1/100, and 1/1,000 dilutions. After exposure to drugs for 100 minutes, cellular proliferation was estimated by [3H]-thymidine uptake. It was found that cellular proliferation in corneal keratocytes was not affected by any of the three dilutions of gentamicin but was inhibited by 1/10 and 1/100 dilutions of sulfisomezole to 82% and 90% of control. [3H]-thymidine uptake values were inhibited to 75% by 1/10 dilution of fluorometholone and by 1/10and 1/100 dilutions of betamethasone to 84% and 86% of control. Meanwhile, cellular proliferation was significantly inhibited by 1/10, 1/100, and 1/1,000 dilutions of dexamethasone to 82%,86%, and 90%, respectively, in comparison with control values. It was demonstrated that commercial eyedrops of glucocorticoids inhibit cellular proliferation in corneal keratocytes, which may modulate the wound healing of corneal stroma.