The Apoptosis Of Rat Lens Epithelial Cells After Eye Contusion And The Effect Of Survivin Gene On Apoptosis

Objective Investigate the apoptosis of rat lens epithelial cells (LECs)and the expression of Survivin gene after eye contusion and study the effect of Survivin gene on the apoptosis of lens epithelial cells.Materials and methods 35 adult Wistar rats were randomized into 4 groups, group A,B,C and D. Group A was a control group, including 5 normal rats.Each of group B, C and D had 10 rats.Contusion eyes were induced by dropping a steel ball of 15g, 2og or25g from a height of 20cm. Lens of Experiment rats were harvested at 1, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours following hitting. Immunohistochemistry staining was used to detect the Expression of Survivin. TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was used to detect the apoptosis of LECs.Then choosed anther 30 adult Wistar rats and divivided them into group B₁,C₁,D₁. The three groups were treated as same as group B, C and D. Experimental eyes were enucleated at 24 hours following hitting. The expression of Survivin gene was detected by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We still used TUNEL assay to detect the apoptosis of LECs.Results 1. No pathological apoptosis or expression of Survivin gene were found in normal rats. Apoptosis was observed at 12 hours after eye contusion and reached a maximum at 24 hours in group B,C and D. Expression of Survivin gene was observed in all the rats of group B and C but in only one rat in group D at 12 hours and found in all the rats at 24 hours. 2. The difference of the apoptosis ratio of LECs and expression of Survivin gene between group B₁ and group C₁ was not significant (p＞0.05).The apoptosis ratio in group B₁ and C₁ was lower than group D₁(p＞0.05),while the expression of Survivin gene in the two groups was higher than group D₁(p＞0.05).Conclusion The apoptosis of rat LECs and the expression of Survivin gene can be observed after eye contusion. They can only be found in a certain similar time. When the expression of Survivin gene is higher, the apoptosis of rat LECs is lower. Survivin gene may have an anti-apoptosis effect on the apoptosis of rat lens epithelial cells after eye contusion.