An immunohistochemical analysis of a rat model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy and a comparison of the expression of TGF-β and PDGF among the induction methods.

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is a serious complication of retinal detachment surgery or ocular trauma. Our previous study indicated that intravitreal co-injection of retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE)-J cells and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) (not RPE-J cells or PRP alone) in Wistar rat eyes can successfully induce a model of PVR. But which cells are involved in this process and why different induction methods, intravitreal injection of RPE-J cells or/and PRP, induced a different situation remain to be unknown. In this study, immunohistochemistry was performed to identify the main cell types involved in this process. The expression levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA and PDGF-BB were tested using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that RPE cells, glial cells, fibroblasts and macrophages took part in the pathogenesis of this model. The expression levels and durations of TGF-β2 and PDGF-BB partially explained the different results induced by the different induction methods. This provides an experimental proof for attenuation of the experimental PVR by targeting at a specific cells or growth factor.