Abstract
Bovine corneas incubated at pH 2 for 4.5 hours became opaque but did not thicken. Corneas incubated at pH 12 became opaque and thickened. Removal of epithelium indicated that pH 2 had caused opacity predominantly in the epithelium itself, while pH 12 had predominantly opacified the stroma.
With 5 x 10-3 M of the cationic surfactant, lauryl trimethylammonium bromide, in contact only with the outside (epithelium-side) of the cornea for up to 4 hours, the epithelium opacified but the stroma did not. There was no thickening for the first 2 hours of incubation, but significant thickening thereafter.
Methanol 50% v/v in contact only with the outside of the cornea caused the epithelium to opacify within 2 minutes, but this effect diminished and a profound opacification of stroma developed over 4 hours. Gross thickening to over three times normal had developed after 4 hours of incubation.
The results suggest that opacity can occur without thickening, but that thickening cannot occur without opacity. Opacity may therefore be a more reliable parameter than thickness for indicating toxic responses of the cornea.
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