Effects of Nanosecond Pulsed Laser Light on Porcine Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Laser technology and use is rapidly expanding in medical, industrial, commercial, and military applications. As a result, the likelihood of inadvertent ocular exposure has also increased. Risks may be especially acute for military personnel when employment occurs under less than ideal circumstances....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bios (Madison, N.J.) N.J.), 2006-03, Vol.77 (1), p.13-19
Main Authors: Stephanie A. King, Johnson, Martin, Mike Wilcox, Erick A. Snellman
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Epithelium
Laser damage
Lasers
Light
Melanin
Melanosomes
Pigments
Pulse duration
Pulsed lasers
Research Article
Retinal pigments
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Summary:Laser technology and use is rapidly expanding in medical, industrial, commercial, and military applications. As a result, the likelihood of inadvertent ocular exposure has also increased. Risks may be especially acute for military personnel when employment occurs under less than ideal circumstances. The ocular tissue layer most susceptible to laser damage is the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) due to the highly absorptive nature of its melanin-containing pigment granules. We enucleated pig eyes and exposed the RPE layer to 3 ns pulsed laser-light using a ND:YAG laser. Changes in cellular ultrastructure were observed in 48 h post exposure by transmission electron microscopy. Pigment granules of laser-treated cells showed decreased pigment content and loss of elliptical shape but were otherwise normal and bounded by discrete membranes. Pigment granules appeared striated and in various stages of maturity suggesting capacity for melanin regeneration after laser damage. Thermal denaturation and photomechanical disruption caused by microbubble formation are discussed as possible damage mechanisms.
ISSN:0005-3155
DOI:10.1893/0005-3155(2006)77[13:RAEONP]2.0.CO;2