Abstract
Summary
The osmotic activity of serum and the fluids and humors of the eye was measured (37°) using a vapor pressure osmometer. Vitreous humor was found to be isosmotic to serum. Aqueous humor obtained immediately postmortem was approximately 11 mOsmolal hyperosmotic to serum. On comparison of anterior chamber aqueous humor and vitreous humor obtained from the same eyes, the mean difference was 10.6 ± 8.8 mOsmolal (p < 0.001) aqueous hyperosmotic.
The fluid secreted from the anterior surface of rabbit lenses incubated in silicone oil was collected by low speed centrifugal separation. The osmolality of this fluid from 24 lenses was 262.4 ± 16.5 mOsmolal. The fluid secreted by the lens is significantly hyposmotic to each of the other fluids (p < 0.005).
The author is very grateful to Carolyn McDonald and Jacqueline Wright for their technical assistance. This work was supported by NIH grant NINDB#1979 (EY00202-13).
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