Table 1. Effect of poly(4-styrenesulphonic acid) and suramin on TGFβ-induced opacification in cultured lenses

Lenses from immature rats were cultured with 1.2 ng/ml TGFβ with or without the addition of (A) poly(4-styrenesulphonic acid) (PSS) or (B) suramin (S) at concentrations indicated. A and B each represent pooled data from two experiments assessed on day 4 of culture. The column designated "p" indicates the significance of the difference between the outcome for this group and for corresponding lenses cultured with TGFβ alone (Fisher's exact test, two-tailed). For TGFβ plus 50 μM suramin, the opacification response was much weaker than for TGFβ alone.

                             Number of lenses
                           ---------------------
                              No         With
Series      Treatment      opacities   opacities     p
------   ---------------   ---------   ---------   ------
  A           TGFβ             1          19
         TGFβ+0.2 μM PSS       8          12        0.02

  B           TGFβ             0          12
          TGFβ+50 μM S         0           4         NS
          TGFβ+100 μM S        4           0        0.001
          TGFβ+150 μM S        4           0        0.001
          TGFβ+200 μM S        6           0       <0.001