PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of mitomycin C (MMC) on the internal ciliary epithelium (ICE) of the ciliary body of animals treated with two differents aqueous humor supressants. METHODS: The eyes of sixteen Norfolk albino rabbits divided into four experimental groups were studied. The right eyes (RE) of the four groups received 0.1 ml of MMC (0.5 mg/ml) under the scleral flap. The left eyes (LE) was the control group. Group 1 (G1) did not have any other treatment. To Group 2 (G2) and Group 4 (G4) acetazolamide was administered. To Group (G3) and Group 4 (G4) timolol maleate was administered. ICE was examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RESULTS: The following aspects were observed in all groups, except in G1 LE: cell shrinkage and/or enlargement of intercellular spaces, rarefied mitochondria, clear vesicular structures and electron-dense bodies. The internal limitant membrane showed to be thickened, discontinued and separeted in all groups, except in G1 LE and G2 LE. Discharge of cytoplasmatic material was observed only in the groups treated with aqueous humor supressants. CONCLUSIONS: 1) MMC, acetazolamide and timolol maleate caused morphological alterations in the ciliary epithelium even when used alone. 2) The combination of MMC and acetazolamide caused more alterations than did isolated acetazolamide, but not more than MMC alone. 3) For the other combinations the alterations were similar.
Ciliary body; Ciliary body; Epithelium; Epithelium; Microscopy, electron, transmission; Acetazolamide; Acetazolamide; Rabbits
