| Glaucoma drainage implants have been widely used to cure severe glaucoma patients. But the formation of a heavy ?brous capsule that surrounds the glaucoma implant made of silicone elastomer due to its hydrophobicity will increases aqueous out?ow resistance. In this work, silicone elastomers were surface modified with poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEGMEA) and the in vivo biological behavior of the modified silicone elastomers were evaluated in an animal model of glaucoma surgery.Following the introduction of Si-H groups on the surfaces by acid-catalyzed equilibration, the PEGMEA was linked by platinum-catalyzed hydrosilylation. ATR-FTIR and XPS results confirmed that the PEGMEA was successfully grafted into the surface of silicone elastomers. Contact angle results revealed that the hydrophobicity of silicone elastomer was decreased after modification. BSA adsorption and L929 cell adhesion to the PEGMEA-grafted surfaces was reduced by about 55% and 35%, respectively, compared with original silicone elastomer. Cytotoxicity results indicated that both original and surface modified silicone elastomers exhibited excellent cytocompatibility.Intrascleral implantation of surface modified silicone elastomer was performed in 15 healthy rabbits for evaluating the tissue reaction in vivo. The host tissue response to such implants were evaluated at 2, 4, and 6 weeks and compared to that of unmodified original silicone elastomer as control. The eyes were enucleated and stained with hematoxylin-eosin to analysis the thickness of ?brous capsule and the inflammatory reaction. Surface modified silicone elastomer reduced ?brous capsule thickness by nearly 35% compared to unmodified silicone elastomer during 6 weeks implantation period. However, no significant difference in inflammatory response assessment was found between control and experimental group. |
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