DECORIN AND SURAMIN INHIBIT OCULAR FIBROBLAST COLLAGEN PRODUCTION

Background: The process of ocular wound healing with respect to glauco matous filtering procedures is of current interest. Delaying this resp onse in patients could possibly lead to more favorable surgical result s. So far, only highly toxic antimetabolites have come into frequent c linical use. The possible efficacy of other groups of substances such as growth factor inhibitors has not yet been examined in vitro. Method s: We exposed Tenon's capsule fibroblasts in tissue culture to various concentrations of decorin and suramin. The dose responses of type I a nd type III collagen to these inhibitors were measured using an ELISA- type dot blot assay. Total cellular protein production was assayed by measuring the incorporation of tritiated leucine. Results: At a concen tration of 10 mu g/ml, suramin reduced the collagen production by more than 80%. Decorin, at a concentration of 100 mu g/ml, reduced type I collagen production by about 50% while type III collagen was reduced b y 80%. At these concentrations, the total cellular protein production was not inhibited. Conclusions: Both suramin and decorin, which specif ically inhibit the action of growth factors on target cells, reduce th e production of collagen synthesis by Tenon's capsule fibroblasts. Thi s is a specific effect, because total protein production is not influe nced. This sets these substances apart from antimetabolites. Decorin a nd suramin may have clinical relevance in that they appear to interfer e with ocular wound healing more specifically than the substances so f ar frequently used.