Evaluation of Different Polymerization Methods of Ocular Prosthesis Acrylic Resins on Subcutaneous Tissue Inflammatory Response in Rats

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different polymerization methods of acrylic resin for ocular prostheses on the subcutaneous tissue inflammatory response of rats. Methods: Samples were prepared by: water bath (WB), microwave energy (MW), or autopolymerization (AP) (n=20/group). The inflammatory response (cell count and immunohistochemical analysis of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17, and MIP-3α) was analyzed by the implantation of a sample from each group in the subcutaneous tissue of 20 Wistar rats, and evaluated after 7, 15, 30, and 60 days. Quantitative and qualitative data were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey test (p<0.05) and to visual comparison, respectively. Results: There was a moderate inflammatory infiltrate for MW and AP groups and a light infiltrate for the WB group after 7 days. The inflammatory infiltrate and the immunolabeling of tested targets decreased gradually during the 60 days. The AP group had the highest immunolabeling of TNF-α (7 days), IL-1β and IL-17 (15, 30 days), and IL-6 (30, 60 days). The WB and MW groups showed a greater immunolabeling at 15 and 30 days, while the MW group also had high results at 60 days. Conclusion: Polymerization by microwave energy and by chemical activation resulted in a higher inflammatory response. Keywords: Ocular Prosthesis, Acrylic Resins, Biocompatibility Testing