The effects of inhibition of both glutathione synthesis and of glutathione reductase and catalase activities have been determined in the regulation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the anterior chamber of pigmented rabbits. Glutathione reductase inhibition using intravitreal 1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) did not significantly alter either total glutathione or the percent oxidized glutathione fraction in the iris-ciliary body. Intravitreal buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) significantly reduced the total glutathione content of iris-ciliary body and corneal endothelium, while not altering the oxidized fraction. BCNU increased the oxidized fraction of glutathione in the aqueous humor from 22 to 63% without significantly altering total glutathione levels. BSO, however, reduced total glutathione by 70% in the aqueous humor, and the oxidized fraction doubled. Decreases in the reduced glutathione concentration caused by BSO correlate with increases in the normally stable ratio of H₂O₂ to ascorbate concentrations in the aqueous humor, strongly suggesting that glutathione metabolism is correlated with H₂O₂ regulation at endogenous levels of this oxidant. Both BSO and 3-aminotriazole (3AT) separately increased the half-time for the loss of exogenously added H₂0₂ from the anterior chamber. BSO increased the half-time by 77% after 10 μl of 10 mMH₂O₂ was injected intracamerally, while suppression of catalase activity with 3AT increased it by only 40%. With intracameral injections of 10 μl of either 25 or 50 mM H₂O₂, however, 3AT had a greater effect than BSO. The half-time values after 3AT pretreat-ment were 61 and 135% greater than control values at the concentrations of 25 and 50 mM H₂O₂, respectively; those after BSO pretreatment were at 14 and 78%. From these data we conclude that the glutathione redox system protects the anterior segment tissues from hydrogen peroxide at low concentrations of this oxidant, while catalase assumes a greater role at higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide.

Intracameral hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is cleared at a faster rate in young (t1/2, 93 seconds) than in adult (t1/2, 109 seconds) rabbits. Extrapolated zero time concentrations of H2O2 were 3.3 mM in adults and 3.2 mM in young. The more rapid disappearance of H2O2 correlated with greater catalase levels in iris (35%) and corneal endothelium (50%) in young as compared to adult animals. Catalase levels have been found to be reduced in ocular tissues with 3-amino-1H-1,2,4-triazole (3AT) in a dose-related manner up to 6 ml/kg of an intravenous 3M solution. Iris and ciliary processes showed a linear reduction with dose, while corneal endothelium, liver and lung reached near maximal decreases in catalase activity at 2, 4, and 6 ml/kg, respectively. 3AT caused a significant dose-dependent extension of the rate of clearance of H2O2 from the anterior chamber, that was directly related to catalase loss. The t1/2 for H2O2 disappearance in adult animals increased from 109 seconds with no 3AT, to 147 seconds after 2 ml/kg 3M 3AT, to 161 seconds after 4 ml/kg 3M 3AT and 184 seconds after 6 ml/kg 3M 3AT. Corneal endothelial oxidized glutathione levels were transiently increased after intracameral hydrogen peroxide. Considering the sum total of all tissues of the anterior segment, specific incremental decreases of catalase generated by intravenous 3AT caused the t1/2 of H2O2 clearance from the anterior chamber to become longer, while the reducing power of anterior segment tissues excluding lens epithelium is related clearly to the systemic dose of 3AT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)