PURPOSE: Perfluorocarbon liquids (PFCLs) are used in vitreoretinal surgery. PFCLs may cause inflammatory reactions, cellular injury and destruction of the normal retinal architecture. In order to avoid these effects, semifluorinated alkanes (SFA) were developed. We assessed the potential use of an SFA known as perfluorohexiloctano (F6H8) as long-term vitreous replacement under controlled cell culture conditions. METHODS: We analyzed indirect cytotoxicity, where the cells only come into contact with soluble elements that can be eliminated by perfluorohexiloctano. We therefore analyzed direct toxicity (contact toxicity) of perfluorohexiloctano by means of scanning electronic microscopy and immunocytochemistry reagents for actin. Cells embedded in a treatment-free culture medium were used as control, a positive control for toxicity with an undeniably toxic effect on cells, and a weight control that produced a mechanical compression similar to the amount of perfluorohexiloctano used in the experiment. RESULTS: The indirect cytotoxicity test showed that F6H8 did not affect cell growth. Our direct toxicity tests showed that cellular alterations caused by perfluorohexiloctano were similar to those produced by the weight control and different from toxicity control. CONCLUSION: Perfluorohexiloctano does not present indirect toxicity and this product has a compressive rather than a toxic effect on cultured cells.
Fluorocarbones; Cell culture; Ophthalmologic surgical procedures
