Use of a human corneal epithelial cell line for screening the safety of contact lens care solutions in vitro.

Purpose: Sodium fluorescein permeability assay, alamarBlue assay, and scanning electron microscopy were performed to study the effects of various contact lens disinfecting multipurpose solutions (MPS) on the integrity of the ocular surface epithelium by using corneal epithelial cells.

Methods: The sodium fluorescein permeability and alamarBlue activity of monolayer cultures of human corneal epithelial cells were compared after exposure to ReNu MultiPlus, OPTI-FREE Express, AQuify 5 Minute, SOLO-care Plus With Aqualube, and Complete Moisture Plus contact lens care solutions for 15 minutes. Additional cell monolayers were prepared for each treatment and were analyzed with a scanning electron microscope after a 10-minute exposure.

Results: The sodium fluorescein permeability assay, alamarBlue assay, and scanning electron microscopy showed that OPTI-FREE Express was significantly more damaging to the human corneal epithelial cell monolayer than ReNu MultiPlus, SOLO-care Plus With Aqualube, Complete Moisture Plus, and AQuify 5 Minute contact lens solutions. Cell monolayers treated with OPTI-FREE Express were more permeable to sodium fluorescein and showed lower metabolic activity than cell monolayers treated with the other multipurpose solutions.

Conclusions: This experiment shows that ReNu MultiPlus, SOLO-care Plus With Aqualube, Complete Moisture Plus, and AQuify 5 Minute contact lens solutions have a minimal effect on human corneal epithelial cells in culture, whereas OPTI-FREE Express has a higher negative effect on tight junctions, cell membranes, and overall metabolism of these human corneal epithelial cells.