N,O-CARBOXYMETHYLCHITOSAN AS A VISCOELASTIC AGENT IN OPHTHALMIC SURGERY

摘要

The glycosaminoglycan, N,O-Carboxymethylchitosan (NOCC), is a lubricious, viscoelastic, bioresorbable polymer. Its biocompatibility after anterior chamber injection and vitreal chamber injection in the rabbit eye has been previously presented. The inhibition of attachment of fibroblasts in the presence of NOCC, an important desirable property in glaucoma filtering surgery, and the release of drugs used in the eye, from NOCC devices, were investigated in this work. These preliminary data indicate that NOCC would be suitable for use as a viscoeleastic aid in ophthalmic surgery, as a barrier to fibroblast recruitment (especially in glaucoma filtering surgery) and as a controlled release device for certain drugs.