Indocyanine green effect on cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cell: implication for macular hole urgery

PURPOE: To evaluate potential toxic effect of indocyanine green dye on cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cell. METHOD: Controlled laboratory experiment. Cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cell were expoed to balanced aline olution, balanced aline olution with endoillumination, indocyanine green or indocyanine green with endoillumination. Cell were evaluated by light microcopy, electron microcopy, and a mitochondrial dehydrogenae aay. REULT: Retinal pigment epithelial cell expoed to indocyanine green howed no hitologic or ultratructural change. Thoe expoed to indocyanine green alone or indocyanine green plu light demontrated a ignificant decreae in mitochondrial enzyme activity (P = 0.0002 and 0.005, repectively). CONCLUION: Brief expoure of cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cell to indocyanine green reult in decreaed mitochondrial enzyme activity but doe not appear to influence cellular morphology or ultratructure.