The arterially perfused enucleated rabbit eye as a model for studying aqueous humor formation

The rate of turnover of aqueous humor (Kout), as measured by the decay of radioactive inulin from the anterior chamber of the enucleated eye, was similar to the rate of loss of 125I-RISA (radioiodinated serum albumin) from the eye of a living rabbit. Arterial perfusion with 125I-RISA or rabbit serum showed that the permeability characteristics of the blood-aqueous barrier to protein molecules are unaffected in the enucleated eye. The viability of the enucleated eye for secretion of ascorbic acid was also examined, but the results were inconclusive.