No abstract

Hydrophilic copolymers with high refractive index and bactericide properties based on quaternary ammonium salts monomers and methacrylates bearing benzothiazole moieties have been developed for application as foldable intraocular lenses. Composition of the systems was adjusted to get materials with optimized flexibility, wettability, and refractive properties. All the materials have been characterized in terms of optical properties, glass transition temperature, water content, and wettability. Water contact values oscillated between 37 and 15% and refractive index values in the wet state between 1.49 and 1.53, depending on composition. Glass transition temperature interval was 63-77 degrees C. Values of surface free energy of the solid ranged from 49 to 54 mN/m, characteristic of IOL hydrogel materials. Bactericide properties of the quaternary ammonium salts methacrylates were higher than that of the benzothiazole derivative, showing inhibition halos as high as 23-25 mm in antibiogram tests against S. epidermidis and P. aeruginosa , strains found in the ocular cavity and responsible for most postsurgical endolphthalmitis. Biocompatibility of the systems was evaluated in cell cultures using human fibroblasts. Cellular viability was higher than 90%, and close to 100% in many cases, for the extracts of selected formulations collected at different periods of time.

a b s t r a c tThe objective of this work was to evaluate the potential use of less stiff materials based on acrylic copolymers of methyl methacrylate/2-ethylhexyl acrylate (MMA/EHA) as devices to correct, stabilize and improve the effect of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) intracorneal ring segments. MMA/EHA and PMMA intracorneal ring segments were surgically implanted in the corneas of Lohmann Classic hens. The effects of the intracorneal ring segments were assessed by optical measurements and corneal tolerance was evaluated through biomicroscopic examination over a 90-day observation period and by conventional histology. The experimental results demonstrated that the intracorneal ring segments made of MMA/EHA copolymers provided a significant change in the corneal curvature and an improved in vivo response compared to those obtained for PMMA rings, which was attributed to the higher flexibility of the copolymeric materials, indicating that these systems might be considered suitable as an alternative to those currently used, for application in clinical practice.