An Experimental Study on Homoharringtonine Liposome and Glaucoma Filtration Surgery

Purpose: To observe the inhibitory action of homoharringtonine liposome during the healing process of wounds in the filtering sitesMethods: posterior sclerectomies were performed in 14 rabbits. Postoperatively one eye of each rabbit received subconjunctival injections of HH liposome and fellow eye received saline injection in a randomized masked fashion.Results; Fourteen days after operation the IOP of experimental eyes reduced significantly (P < 0.01) as compared with the controlled eyes, and the number of remaining filtering blebs increased noticeably (P< 0.05). Pathohistological examination revealed that the number of fibroblasts per square micron in the filtering sites and the thickness of the scars in the center of the filtering sites of the experimental eyes were less than those of the controlled eyes. No serious ocular toxic and side effects were found.Conclusion : This experiment suggests that homoharringtonine liposome can markedly inhibit the scar formation of filtering sites after glaucoma filtering surgery, promote the formation of filtering blebs, and provide an experimental evidence for its clinical use in future. Eye Science 1999; 15:51 -54 .