An Experimental Study of a Novel Domestic Vitreous Substitute “Vitreolon” in Comparison With Silicone Oil in Simulated Retinal Detachment in Rabbits

Abstract

This article presents the results of an experimental study of a new domestic preparation “Vitreolon”, an artifi cial vitreous body based on a weakly cross-linked hydrogel. The safety and effi cacy of this product for the treatment of retinal detachment in experimental animals was evaluated in comparison with silicone oil. The tamponade properties of each drug, their effect on the internal structure of the animal’s eye, convenience and safety of use in ophthalmic surgery were investigated. A base for conducting detailed preclinical and clinical trials was prepared.Rabbits of the gray chinchilla breed were chosen for the study, largely because the size of their eye is close to that of the human eye. This fact allowed us to study the effect of “Vitreolon” in an amount approximately equal to that used in clinical conditions. During the experiment, the indicators of ophthalmological examinations of experimental animals were recorded. The physiological state of the animals was controlled daily. The observation period ranged from 3 months (for rabbits with a silicone tamponade) to 6 months (for rabbits with a tamponade using the new hydrogel artificial vitreous body).It is found that “Vitreolon” is not inferior to silicone oil in terms of tamponade properties. Moreover, it boasts a number of signifi cant advantages, such as a lack of emulsifi cation, absence of migration to the anterior chamber of the eye, no effect on the exchange of intraocular fl uid, no effect on the intraocular pressure (IOP), long-term retention of the shape and transparency. The characteristics of the new hydrogel artifi cial vitreous body are close to those of the native vitreous body. The application of “Vitreolon” in ophthalmic surgery will increase the effi cacy of retinal detachment treatment by reducing the recovery time.