A methodology based on the anterior chamber of rabbit eyes model for noninvasively determining the biocompatibility of biomaterials in an immune privileged site

In this study, a novel methodology based on the anterior chamber of rabbit eyes model was developed to evaluate the in vivo biocompatibility of biomaterials in an immune privileged site. The 7-mm-diameter membrane implants made from either a biological tissue material (amniotic membrane, AM group) or a biomedical polymeric material (gelatin, GM group) were inserted in rabbit anterior chamber for 36 months and characterized by biomicroscopic examinations, intraocular pressure measurements, and corneal thickness measurements. The noninvasive ophthalmic parameters were scored to provide a quantitative grading system. In this animal model, both AM and GM implants were visible in an ocular immune privileged site during clinical observations. The implants of the AM group appeared as soft tissue patches and have undergone a slow dissolution process resulting in a partial reduction of their size. Additionally, the AM implants did not induce any foreign body reaction or change in ocular tissue response for the studied period. By contrast, in the GM groups, significant corneal edema, elevated intraocular pressure, and increased corneal thickness were noted in the early postoperative phase (within 3 days), but resolved rapidly with in vivo dissolution of the gelatin. The results from the ocular grading system showed that both implants had good long-term biocompatibility in an ocular immune privileged site for up to 3 years. It is concluded that the anterior chamber of rabbit eyes model is an efficient method for noninvasively determining the immune privileged fissue/biomaterial interactions. (C) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.