Hyaluronidase and retinal function

Using the incubated isolated rat retina, the effects of hyaluronidase on the electroretinogram (ERG) and metabolic activities were investigated. Initial experiments established the activity of hyaluronidase needed to liquefy, within 15 to 30 minutes, the vitreous of postmortem human eyes; this concentration was 1,000 units/mL. Rat retinas were superfused with a bicarbonate-buffered, oxygenated medium to which hyaluronidase was added in activities ranging from 100 to 5,000 units/mL. These concentrations of hyaluronidase did not significantly alter the amplitudes of the a waves and b waves of the ERG in comparison to their control amplitudes. Measurements were also made of lactic acid production, oxygen consumption, glutathione content, and adenosine triphosphatase activities in control and hyaluronidase-exposed retinas. In the presence of hyaluronidase, their respective values were similar to the controls for all biochemical factors studied. The present experiments demonstrate that addition of hyaluronidase to an "ocular irrigating" solution results in normal ERGs and normal retinal metabolic activity and suggests the possibility that hyaluronidase may be useful in enzyme-assisted vitrectomy.