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The effects of silicone oil and perfluorocarbon liquids used in retinal reattachment surgery were studied in vitrousing rat retinal cultures seeded on microporous inserts. These inserts allow the cell layer to be in contact with the material to be tested on the apical side and with the nutrient medium on the basal side. The materials tested were silicone oil, the perfluorocarbons perfluorophenanthrene and perfluoroctane, and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose. Perfluorophenanthrene, the heaviest of the compounds, induced a very precocious detachment of the cell layer. All the other tested biomaterials were compatible with cell survival and did not alter the structural organization of the retinal cultures, as revealed by scanning electron microscopy. By immunocytochemical techniques we evaluated the cell composition and the differentiation state of each of the cultures. In both control and treated samples, neuronal cells were well preserved. The expression of microtubule−asso ciated protein 2, a marker of differentiated neuronal cytoskeleton, was not affected. Amacrine neurons, immunolabeled for γaminobutyric acid, still were detectable after treatment. Synapses, marked by immunoreactivity for synapthophysin, were equally preserved. Vimentinpositive glial cells did not show modifications. The apoptotic rate, as determined by the terminal transferasemediated dUTP–biotin nick endlabeling assay, was similar in treated and control samples. The results confirm that the use of biomaterials with a specific gravity close to intraocular fluids is compatible with retinal cell survival and differentiation in vitro. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 60: 548–555, 2002

The effect of a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug commercially available in eye drop form sodium diclofenac was assayed for its ability to affect biofilms formed by clinical Staphylococcus epidermidisisolates. Biofilms produced by one strain positive for a slimeassociated antigen, suggested to be expressed by more virulent strains, was not affected by sodium diclofenac treatment. On the other hand, biofilm produced by the slimepositive, antigennegative strain showed dramatic alterations already after short treatments with sodium diclofenac as reported for salicylate and other nonsteroidal drugs. Such results suggest further investigation of the possible use of sodium diclofenac drops in the treatment of ophthalmic infections in soft contact lens wearers. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 49, 53–57, 2000.