No abstract

The Raman spectrum of an intact rabbit and rat lens was measured intraocularly without taking it out of a whole eyeball. The Raman spectrum was identical to that of an excised lens. There was no evidence for Raman bands from cornea, aqueous humor, or other ocular tissue in the spectrum of intact lens in the eyeball. The result is an important step toward the clinical application of Raman spectroscopy in the field of cataract research.

Change of urate and ascorbate levels in retinae of rat left eyes after ophthalmic artery and optic nerve ligation was studied by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. The right eyes were used for sham operation. We found that uric acid levels in the retinae of the left eyes increased as a function of time after the operation, whereas those of the right eyes remained unchanged. In addition, we found that ascorbic acid levels in the retinae of the rat eyes decreased after the operation.

No abstract

Immunocytochemical studies showed that monoclonal antibodies to bovine retinal S-antigen recognize an immunoreactive protein present in the bovine ciliary body epithelium. This protein was purified by DEAE-agarose chromatography and found to have a M.W. of 28,000 daltons by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Crude and purified preparations of this protein cross-react with polyclonal antibodies to retinal S-antigen. The relative reactivity of S-antigen monoclonal antibodies to ciliary body protein was determined by ELISA. Lewis rats immunized with crude and purified ciliary body protein failed to develop experimental uveitis. The results indicate that the ciliary body protein contains an antigenic peptide domain which is similar to that of S-antigen but lacks the immunopathogenic domain.

SummaryThe effect of several antivitamin B6 on y-aminobutyric acid (GABA) metabolism was studied in the rat retina. The rat elec troretinogram (ERG) was also recorded after administration of these drugs. Aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA) and hydrazine administration increased the GABA content and inhibited the GABA degrading enzyme, GABA transaminase in retina. In addition, these drugs elongated the peak latency of the oscillatory potential in the rat ERG. In contrast, 4 deoxypyridoxine (DOP) or isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INAH) adminis tration decreased the GABA content and inhibited the GABA synthesiz ing enzyme, glutamic acid decarboxylase in retina, and administration of these drugs together with AOAA lessened the degrees of elevation of GABA content and of the elongation of the peak latency produced as compared with AOAA alone, though neither of the former drugs had a significant effect on ERG. The retinal GABA seems to play an important role in relation to the oscillatory potential of ERG.