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Effects of intraocular pressure change on movement of FITC-dextran across vitreous-aqueous interface

Y Sugiura1, M Araie

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine.

In an attempt to study the effect of change in the intraocular pressure (IOP) on the status of the vitreous-aqueous interface, the effect of topical bunazosin was studied in the rabbit eye using the new Johnson-Maurice method. This entails an intravitreal injection of FITC-dextran and measurements of its concentration changes in the anterior chamber many days after the injection. Repeated instillations of bunazosin solution reduced the IOP by about 5 mmHg, without changing the aqueous flow rate as determined by the method of fluorometry. On the other hand, the FITC-dextran concentration in the anterior chamber increased, indicating that the movement of FITC-dextran from the vitreous into the aqueous was greater when the IOP was lowered. This increase in the FITC-dextran movement into the anterior chamber was thought to be mainly attributable to an increase in the anteriorly directed fluid movement across the vitreous-aqueous interface. The increase in the fluid movement was estimated to be about 1.3 microliter/hour. This study suggested that a reduction in the IOP generated a small fluid flow from the vitreous into the aqueous, and that the new Johnson-Maurice method can be a useful means for noninvasive investigations of the physiology of the vitreous-aqueous interface.

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