Trabecular meshwork cell culture in glaucoma research: evaluation of biological activity and structural properties of human trabecular cells in vitro.

The propagation of human trabecular cells in culture allows the study of the structural and functional properties of this distinct cell type under reproducible experimental conditions. Human trabecular cells can be effectively grown from dissected explants of trabecullar tissue, and the cultured cells can maintain the distinctive ultrastructural features of uncultured trabecular cells through at least five passages in vitro. The trabecular cell possesses a wide range of biochemical and structural properties that may be important for the maintenance of the aqueous outflow pathway. These properties include the growth of trabecular cells as an endothelial monolayer with a nonthrombogenic cell surface, the production of plasminogen activator, avid phagocytosis, and the ability to synthesize glycosaminoglycans, collagen, fibronectin, and other connective tissue elements. The presence of hyaluronidase and other lysosomal enzymes emphasizes that human trabecular cells are capable of metabolizing hyaluronic acid and other extracellular materials. Potential mechanisms of trabecular cell damage in vitro are examined by evaluating the effects of extended passage, peroxide exposure, and laser treatment on cellular morphology.