Histochemical differences within the ciliary muscle and its function in accommodation

During accommodation, the ciliary muscle is known to move forward-inward. This movement depends on the stiffness of the ciliary muscle connections with the scleral spur. These connections are mediated by the tips of the meridional muscle. If the tips are weakened by pharmacological or surgical means, accommodation suffers. For normal accommodation, it is therefore necessary that the tips stiffen before the contraction of the main part of the muscle. We have therefore looked at the primate eye for enzymatic and ultrastructural differences between the tips and the bulk of the muscle viz, the reticular and circular portion. Myosin ATPase was stained after either alkaline or acid preincubation. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), NADH-tetrazoliumreductase (TR) and lipids were stained using conventional methods. The results of the enzyme staining were a modest difference between the meridional tips and the bulk. The tips stained stronger for ATPase following both preincubation methods, and for LDH, whereas the bulk cells stained stronger for SDH, NADH-TR and lipids. The tips contained fewer mitochondria and more myofibrils. In all these respects, the tips of the meridional muscle resemble the fast fibers of striated muscle.