Optimizing Mouse Primary Lens Epithelial Cell Culture: A Comprehensive Guide to Trypsinization

Our research objective is to explore the underlying causes of cataracts, with a particular emphasis on the function of redox repair enzymes. Our aim is to identify the critical role this enzyme play in lens protection, and to establish their potential as drug targets for cataract prevention and treatment. Among many exciting technologies, our research uses lens epithelial cells as a foundational platform.

This approach is critical for unraveling the mechanism behind cataract formation, posterior capsule opacification, and the discovery of new anti-cataract drugs. Moving forward, we’ll focus on understanding the impact of antioxidant enzymes and aging on lens functionality. Our goal is to discover innovative antioxidant treatments that can delay lens aging, prevent cataracts, and provide effective intervention for PCO.

To begin, position the euthanized mouse on the surgical platform. Use surgical scissors to remove its eyelids delicately. Then, with the help of curved tweezers, apply gentle pressure on opposite sides of the eye socket, causing the eye to protrude outward.

Use the cataract knife to make a careful incision on the cornea, and employ curved tweezers to carefully extract the lens. Next, using curved tweezers with blunt tips, transfer the lenses to a 60-millimeter plastic culture dish containing five milliliters of sterile DPBS and gentamicin. Gently rinse the lenses with DPBS solution containing gentamicin.

After completing the rinsing process, place the lens on a piece of filter paper and allow it to dry. Once the lens is adequately dry, transfer it carefully to the cover of a Petri dish to prepare for removing the lens capsule. Then, rotate the lens upward, ensuring that the anterior segment is facing upward.

While holding the anterior capsule with tweezers, use capsulorhexis forceps in the dominant hand to create a small tear. Gently pull the two tools in opposite directions to remove the capsule. Place the capsule in DPBS until all the lens dissections are completed.

Afterwards, carefully transfer the lens capsule to a six-well plate. Add one milliliter of 0.05%tripsin solution to each well to initiate the enzymatic digestion process. Gently agitate the tripsin solution to ensure even permeation.

Place the plate in a cell culture incubator and allow the capsule to digest for eight to 10 minutes at 37 degrees Celsius. Then, use dissecting scissors to carefully mince the digested lens capsule to promote cell separation. Add 0.5 milliliters of the culture medium containing 10%FBS to quench the tripsin.

Transfer the tissue samples to a centrifugation tube and centrifuge at 1000 G for five minutes. Carefully remove the supernatant without disturbing the cell pellet. Use one milliliter of culture medium to resuspend the cells and seed the cells in a 24-well plate.

The phase-contrast image of the cultured lens epithelial cells showed that, between the third and fifth day, the cells initiated their proliferation phase. Rapid growth and logarithmic proliferation phases could be observed between the seventh and 10th day.