Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Use of Rabbit Eyes in Pharmacokinetic Studies of Intraocular Drugs
Published on: July 23, 2016
[The effect of intraocular lidocaine in white rabbit eyes]
T Nishide1, K Kadonosono, N Itoh
1Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Japan.
Purpose:
Recently, intraocular lidocaine anesthesia has been used in cataract surgery. We studied the toxicity of intraocular unpreserved lidocaine for corneal endothelial cell and retina using Japanese white rabbits.
Method:
They were divided into two groups. One group was injected intracamerally and the other group was injected intravitreally with 0.2 ml of unpreserved lidocaine of 0%, 0.02%, 0.2%, or 2% concentration. The number of corneal endothelial cells was measured 1 week after the injection. The rabbits were killed after measurements, and their corneas were studied histologically. The retina was examined by electroretinogram from before the injection through 1 week after the injection.
Results:
There was no significant change in number of corneal endothelial cells after injection of 0.2% lidocaine. However, histological abnormality was seen in corneal endothelial cells after 2% lidocaine injection. There was also significant change in electroretinogram with 2% lidocaine injection. No histological abnormality was seen in the retina 1 week after the injection.
Conclusion:
The rabbit cornea and retina manifested no serious changes after the injection of lidocaine at less than 0.2% concentration functionally and histologically.
