Cytotoxic effects of daunomycin on retinal pigment epithelium in vitro.

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), the most severe complication of retinal detachment surgery and posterior segment ocular trauma, is characterized by the intraocular proliferation of non-neoplastic cells with formation of vitreal and periretinal membranes resulting in renewed traction retinal detachment. As retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells have been shown to play an essential role in the development of PVR, we investigated the acute and chronic effects of daunomycin on the morphology and viability of porcine RPE cells in vitro. The intense and complete inhibition of cell proliferation reported in this study adds to previous evidence that daunomycin may be useful for pharmacological treatment of human PVR.