The Effect of Prostaglandin Analogues on the Ciliary Zonular Fibers of the Rabbit Crystalline Lens

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of prostaglandin (PG) analogues on the ciliary zonular fibers of the crystalline lens using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of rabbit eyes, and to measure the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) levels of the aqueous humor and crystalline lens treated with topical PG analogues Methods: Fifty eyes from 25 New Zealand white rabbits were divided into five groups of five rabbits each. In the control group, balanced salt solution was administered via the topical route once a day to the eyes. The benzalkonium chloride (BAC) group was treated with 0.02% BAC, the Latanoprost group with 0.005% latanoprost, the Travoprost group with 0.004% Travoprost, and the Bimatoprost group with 0.03% Bimatoprost for 10 months. We examined the ciliary zonular fibers using SEM. We also measured the MMP and TIMP levels of the aqueous humor and crystalline lens. Results: SEM revealed some splitting of zonular fibers in eyes treated with topical PG analogues when compared with the control and BAC groups. The MMP-1 and TIMP-1 levels after treatment with the PG analogues did not differ significantly from the control and BAC groups (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in MMP-1, MMP-3, TIMP-1, and MMP-1/TIMP-1 levels in the lens among all five groups. Conclusions: PG analogues may induce zonular change in rabbits microscopically. There was no association between zonular changes and the levels of certain types of MMP or TIMP in the aqueous humor or crystalline lens after topical treatment with PG analogues.