In vitro inhibition of ocular cell proliferation with ara-C: blockage of the antiproliferative effect with 2'-deoxycytidine.

Cytosine arabinoside (ara-C), a cell cycle-phase specific antimetabolite, was tested in a tissue culture model of human scleral fibroblasts (HSCF), and human retinal pigmented epithelium cells (HRPE), to investigate possible applications in the modulation of wound healing after glaucoma filtering surgery and in the postoperative management of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Cell proliferation after a 72 hr incubation in the presence of ara-C was inhibited to 50% of the control growth rate (ID50) with calculated doses of 60 ng/ml in HSCF and 4 and 5 ng/ml in HRPE cultures. 2'-deoxycytidine, a competitive inhibitor of ara-C action, completely eliminated the cell growth retardation of both cell types produced by ara-C after 72 hr incubation.