Ultrastructure and blood-iris barrier in experimental rubeosis iridis in rabbit

Iris neovascularization was produced in rabbits by hypotony following repeated aspiration of the vitreous. The hypotony was produced after 0.3 ml of vitreous fluid was aspirated using a 25-gauge needle through the pars plana of 10 rabbits. For the histochemical study, horseradish peroxidase(HRP) was injected through the ear lobe vein. After fixation of the iris tissue, the tissue was treated with diaminobenzidine and examined with both light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The newly-formed vessel was abundant, particularly on the upper stroma of the iris. The new vessel formation was evident due to the proliferation of endothelial cells, which may have been derived from preexisting iris vessels. The endothelial cells of the newly-formed vessels revealed prominent villous processes into the vascular lumen, formation of the marginal flap, numerous fenestrations in the endothelial junction, and reaction product onto extravascular space by the cytochemical electron microscopy. These results suggest that hypotony in the rabbit produces the disruption of the blood-iris barrier and the balance between angiogenesis-antiangiogenesis modulation.