In vivo aqueous humor oxygen tension--as estimated from measurements on bare stroma

Aqueous humor oxygen tension of the in vivo rabbit eye was estimated by a relatively atraumatic procedure. The anterior corneal surface of the eye was first scraped free of its epithelial layer. A polarographic oxygen electrode was then used to measure the oxygen tension at the bare stromal surface. Aqueous humor oxygen tension can be estimated from this measured steady-state stromal surface oxygen tension by correcting the measured oxygen tension for the tension drop across the stroma and endothelium. When animals breathed room air (155 mm Hg oxygen tension), the oxygen tension of the aqueous humor was 13 mm Hg; this rose to 150 mm Hg when the inspired oxygen tension was 713 mm Hg.