Light, experimental avian myopia and the role of the suprarenals

Domestic chicks reared under continuous dim light developed the eye enlargement and suppressed corneal growth characteristic of light-induced avian glaucoma (LIAG) and dim light buphthalmos (DLB). Administered corticosterone moderated these effects on both the globe of the eye and the cornea. The anti-adrenal agent Metyrapone had no discernable effects on the globe parameters of the eye, although the cornea was somewhat enlarged and the anterior chamber deeper than in controls. Mitotic rate in the corneal epithelium, and adrenal and testis weight, were more sensitive indicators, showing that both the hormone and its antagonist induced changes in these experimental subjects.