AIM:To evaluate the effect of phagocytic load on apoptosis of cultured aged bovine retinal pigment epithelium(RPE)cells.

METHODS: The third generation of cultured aged bovine RPE cells was cultured respectively with culture medium, containing 200μg/mL photoreceptor outer segment(POS)and 400μg/mL POS. Then the apoptosis rates of RPE cells after 24, 48 and 96h were detected with flow cytometry instrument(AnnexinⅤ/PI double staining).

RESULTS: In blank control group, the apoptosis rates were very low at different time. After RPE cells were cultured with culture medium containing 200μg/mL POS for 24h, the apoptosis rate including early apoptosis and late apoptosis was 1.73%. As time going, the apoptosis rate increased rapidly and reached 65.92% after 96h. After RPE cells were cultured with culture medium containing 400μg/mL POS for 24h, the apoptosis rate was 4.02%. And it reached 91.34% significantly after 96h.

CONCLUSION: Phagocytic loads can induce the apoptosis of RPE depending the time and dose.