Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
Use of Rabbit Eyes in Pharmacokinetic Studies of Intraocular Drugs
Published on: July 23, 2016
Effects of external irrigation on mitomycin-C concentration in rabbit aqueous and vitreous humor
J A Prata1, D S Minckler, R T Koda
1*Department of Ophthalmology, University of Southern California School of Medicine and the Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.; daggerEscola Paulista de Medicina, Department of Ophthalmology, Saõ Paulo, Brazil; and double daggerUniversity of Southern California School of Pharmacy, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Purpose:
These experiments were performed to determine what effect external irrigation with balanced salt has on limiting penetration of mitomycin-C into the aqueous and vitreous.
Methods:
Bilateral 5 min scleral applications of mitomycin-C (0.5 mg/ml) were performed in 21 rabbits using identical 6x4x1 mm cellulose sponges uniformly soaked with 0.2 ml of the mitomycin-C solution. Irrigation of one eye, randomly selected, was then carried out with 10 ml of balanced salt solution over 1 min. High performance liquid chromatography was used to analyse aqueous and vitreous samples obtained from separate animals at 5, 15, 30, and 60 min and at 2,4, and 6 h after sponge removal.
Results:
Nonirrigated eyes demonstrated continual rise in aqueous mitomycin-C concentration over 1 h. Irrigated eyes demonstrated lower mitomycin-C concentrations at all times studied and a continual fall in aqueous concentration after 15 min. Vitreous mitomycin-C was detected in both groups only at 5 min.
Conclusions:
Irrigation with balanced salt substantially reduces intraocular diffusion of mitomycin-C.
