Comparion of the in vitro toxicity of indocyanine green to that of trypan blue in human retinal pigment epithelium cell culture

Purpoe To compare the in vitro toxicity of indocyanine green (ICG) to that of trypan blue (TB) in human retinal pigment epithelium cell culture. The ue of ICG and TB in macular hole urgery i dicued. Deign In vitro cell biology experimental tudy. Method The ICG dye and TB were applied to ARPE-19, a commercially available human retinal pigment epithelium cell line. Culture were etablihed and maintained according to upplier protocol. The ICG dye, TB or Hankʹ balanced alt olution (control) were then applied to the cell at varying concentration and over variou expoure period. Fiberoptic light wa alo applied to cell to ae for the poibility of a potentiating phototoxic effect. Cell viability fraction were determined uing a well-tudied mitochondrial dehydrogenae aay. Reult The TB wa not toxic to the retinal pigment epithelium cell culture at any concentration or over any period of expoure, wherea ICG dye demontrated doe-dependent and expoure-dependent toxicity. The ICG dye wa found to be toxic to the cell at all teted concentration between 5.0 mg/ml (tock concentration, 26.1% cell urvival) and 0.5 mg/ml (92.8% cell urvival) over a 3-minute expoure. No toxicity to TB wa een at the tock concentration of 1.5 mg/mL. Addition of light to the culture did not ignificantly alter cell viability with either dye. Long period of expoure, 2 hour, 24 hour, and 72 hour, to minute concentration of either dye did not produce ignificant cell death. Concluion Indocyanine green demontrate more toxicity than TB to human retinal pigment epithelium cell culture. Thi i independent of any phototoxic potentiating effect of fiberoptic light or olvent toxicity. A clinically ueful concentration of 0.5-mg/ml ICG caue low cytotoxicity at 3 minuteʹ expoure (cell urvival 92.8%) and how no detectable toxicity at 1-minute expoure (cell urvival 102%).