Co-treatment of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid and mitomycin-C induces the apoptosis of rabbit tenon's capsule fibroblast and improves the outcome of glaucoma filtration surgery.

Objective: This study was undertaken to develop a new treatment modality that would be able to minimize fibrosis and provide better outcome with glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS).

Methods: We examined whether co-treatment with mitomycin-C (MMC) and histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) efficiently induces apoptosis on rabbit Tenon's capsule fibroblasts (TCF) in vitro. We further examined the effect of co-treatment with SAHA and MMC on the alteration of IOP and the bleb survival in rabbits following GFS.

Results: Co-treatment of MMC and SAHA efficiently induces apoptosis in TCFs via the up-regulation of p53 and increased phosphorylation of p53 on serine 15 and 392. Also, co-treatment of SAHA and low-dose MMC decreases IOP, prolongs bleb survival, and induces apoptosis of cells under the bleb area following GFS.

Conclusions: This study shows that a co-treatment of SAHA and MMC could improve the outcome of GFS.