Course and dynamics of immunologic iridocyclitis in the rabbit

Dynamics of immunologic inflammation of the anterior part of the ocular bulb in rabbits were studied biomicroscopically with the slit lamp and on the basis of.biochemical parameters registered in aqueous humor. Inflammation appeared on the first day after injection of homologous antigen and lasted not longer than 5-6 days. Elevated levels of protein, seromucoid and sialic acid in the aqueous humor were correlated with intensity of biomicroscopic inflammatory lesions, whereas proteolytic activity deviated. The findings were discussed on the assumption that the relatively rapid rise in hydrolase activity, unaccompanied as yet by presence of leukocytes in the anterior chamberm may be due to early destructive changes in the cells of the ocular structures. The changes in the biochemical indices had local character and were not associated with similar changes in the blood serum. The described model, which is based on biochemical and biomicroscopic studies, can be useful in studies on the kinetics of specific inflammation and for testing anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs used in ophthalmology.