Background: To evaluate the effects of tryptophan (TRP) on normal human corneal and conjunctival epithelium in vitro and the re-epithelization of corneal erosion in rabbits.
Materials and methods: Corneal epithelial cell (10.014 pRSV-T) and conjunctival epithelial cell (HC0597) cultures were used. The cellular metabolism, viability, secretion of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, cytoskeleton organization, transwell migration were determined. Cells were incubated in the presence of TRP at 1-100 μM. After corneal de-epithelization rabbits received TRP drops (100 μM), 5 times a day.
Results: TRP increased conjunctival epithelium metabolism at 50 μM and increased the viability of corneal epithelium at 100 μM. TRP (10 μM) enhanced the production of IL-6 by the corneal epithelium and had no effect on IL-1β and IL-10.
Conclusions: TRP had no influence on the cellular cytoskeleton but induced a significant pseudopodia projection in both epithelia. TRP did not influence corneal re-epithelization in vivo. TRP was not toxic for corneal and conjunctival epithelia.
Keywords: Cell culture; Tryptophan; conjunctival epithelium; corneal epithelium; rabbit.