Influence of sulfhydryl agents on cytoskeleton in cultured human trabecular cells.

The effects of three sulfhydryl agents on the cytoskeletal systems of cultured human trabecular cells were examined by the immunofluorescence method. Incubation with iodoacetamide or N-ethyl maleimide (10(-6) M, 10(-5) M, and 10(-4) M) caused a marked alteration on the actin and microtubule organization, but had little effect on the structural integrity of the vimentin intermediate filaments. Incubation with p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate (10(-6) M, 10(-5) M, and 10(-4) M) caused no remarkable changes in the three major cytoskeletal systems. These findings suggest that the trabecular cell cytoskeleton plays an important role in increasing the aqueous outflow facility after treatment with the sulfhydryl agents, iodoacetamide and N-ethyl maleimide.