Intravitreal autotransplantation of fibroblasts.

Tissue cultured skin fibroblasts autotransplanted into the vitreous cavity of rabbit eyes formed intravitreal strands that grew toward the medullary ray and optic nerve head and caused preretinal puckers and traction detachment. After four weeks, 32 of 51 eyes (63%) developed these changes. Light and electron microscopy revealed initial cell death. Remaining cells aligned themselves quickly into strands and began to multiply as shown by tritiated thymidine methyl incorporation. The appearance of cells that resemble myofibroblasts may explain the contractability of the strand. Because the effect of intraocular proliferation can be quantitated by the number of puckers and retinal detachments developing, this model may be useful for the study of therapeutic means to reduce intraocular proliferation.