Consequences of Preservative Uptake and Release by Contact Lenses.

Objectives: To assess contact lens preservative uptake and release from multipurpose solutions (MPS) and subsequent acquisition of lens antibacterial activity.

Methods: Kinetics of uptake and release of poly (hexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride) (PHMB) or polyquaternium-1 (PQ-1) from various contact lenses were studied initially with the pure compounds and then after soaking in MPS containing these compounds. Lenses soaked in MPS were tested for antibacterial activity.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa internalization by corneal epithelial cells involves MEK and ERK signal transduction proteins.

Invasion of epithelial cells represents a potential pathogenic mechanism for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We explored the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MEK 1/2) and the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK 1/2) in P. aeruginosa invasion.