Octreotide inhibits growth factor-induced and basal proliferation of lens epithelial cells in vitro.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether a synthetic analog of somatostatin, octreotide, has an inhibitory effect on lens epithelial cell (LEC) proliferation induced by basal and basic fibroblast growth factor as well as insulin-like growth factor 1.

METHODS: Confluent LEC cultures were kept in serum-free defined medium containing [(3)H]-thymidine in the presence of octreotide alone at the concentration range of 10(-7) M to 10(-10) M or in combination with either basic fibroblast growth factor or insulin-like growth factor 1. Additionally, the expression of somatostatin receptors (1-5) in LECs were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS: Octreotide decreased the proliferation of human LECs in a dose-dependent manner, exhibiting a maximal inhibitory concentration at 10(-9) M (P<.03). Moreover, octreotide (10(-9) M) potently inhibited basic fibroblast growth factor- and insulin-like growth factor 1-induced bovine lens epithelial cell proliferation (P<.0001). The respective products of all 5 subtypes of somatostatin receptors were found in human LECs and somatostatin receptor type 2 in bovine LECs.

CONCLUSION: The data show that, depending on the concentration, octreotide is able to decrease proliferative responses of LECs. Moreover, the cell proliferation induced by growth factors was potently inhibited by octreotide. Therefore, octreotide could be a potential drug after cataract surgery in prevention of growth factor-dependent proliferative disorders such as posterior capsule opacification and anterior capsule contraction in diabetic patients.