Lack of correlation between intraocular inflammation and after-cataract formation in the rabbit eye

To determine whether an increased or reduced inflammatory response following cataract surgery influences the development of after-cataract.Department of Preclinical Ophthalmology, Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden.Rabbits that had had cataract surgery were given endotoxin, ovalbumin, dexamethasone, or diclofenac. Aqueous humor, leukocytes, and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) were analyzed, and the wet weight of the after-cataract was determined.The wet weight of the after-cataract was unaffected by endotoxin and 67% lower in the eyes treated with ovalbumin than in the control eyes on day 56. Aqueous humor concentrations of leukocytes and PGE(2) were 94% and 87% lower in the group treated with dexamethasone than in the control group on day 7, and the concentration of PGE(2) was 98% lower in the diclofenac group; however, the wet weight of the after-cataract was unaffected by both treatments.This study suggests that an increased inflammatory response does not increase the development of after-cataract and a reduction in the inflammatory response does not reduce the development of after-cataract.