MPC Polymer Promotes Recovery from Dry Eye via Stabilization of the Ocular Surface

Abstract

The polymer that includes 2-methacryloyloxy ethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) is well-known as an effectively hydrating multifunction agent. In this study, we prepared an MPC polymer (MPCP) using radical polymerization with co-monomers—MPC/Stearyl Methacrylate/N,N-dimethylacrylamide—and evaluated the MPCP’s usefulness for dry eye treatment using a rabbit model treated with N-acetylcysteine. The MPCP particle size was 50–250 nm, and the form was similar to that of micelles. The MPCP viscosity (approximately 0.95 mPa·s) was 1.17-fold that of purified water, and a decrease in the transepithelial electrical resistance value (corneal damage) was not observed in the immortalized human corneal epithelial cell line HCE-T cell (HCE-T cell layer). The MPCP enhanced the water maintenance on the cornea, and the instillation of MPCP increased the lacrimal fluid volume and prolonged the tear film breakup time without an increase in total mucin contents in the lacrimal fluid of the normal rabbits. The therapeutic potential of the MPCP for dry eye was evaluated using an N-acetylcysteine-treated rabbit model, and, in our investigation, we found that MPCP enhanced the volume of lacrimal fluid and promoted an improvement in the tear film breakup levels. These findings regarding the creation and characteristics of a novel MPCP will provide relevant information for designing further studies to develop a treatment for dry eyes.