The Lacrimation Reflex

Mutch, J. R.

doi:10.1136/bjo.28.7.317

Cited by 44 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…According to Mutch (1944) and Botelho (1964), the parasympathetic fibres to the lacrimal gland relay in the sphenopalatine ganglion, which suggests that the secretory fibres stimulated in the present experiments are postganglionic, but this requires further investigation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

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Lacrimal Secretion in the Cat

Elsby

Wilson

1967

British Journal of Pharmacology and Chemotherapy

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The lacrimal nerve, a branch of the trigeminal, is mainly a sensory nerve but it also conveys parasympathetic and probably sympathetic fibres to the lacrimal gland (Mutch, 1944). The role of these autonomic fibres in controlling lacrimal secretion is not clear. Stimulation of the lacrimal nerve in dogs was found by Tepliachine (1894) to cause an increase in lacrimal secretion. Botelho (1964) has shown that in cats and rabbits the secretory fibres are derived from the parasympathetic nervous system. In contrast, stimulation of the cervical sympathetic nerves produced variable effects on lacrimal secretion in man and animals (Wolferz, 1871;Reich, 1873;Schirmer, 1909;Duke-Elder, 1932; Whitwell, 1961; Botelho, 1964).The experiments described in this paper were undertaken to investigate the effects produced on lacrimal secretion in the cat by stimulation of the lacrimal nerve at different frequencies and to determine whether the secretory fibres were cholinergic. METHODSCats (2 to 4 kg of body weight) were anaesthetized with pentobarbitone sodium (35 mg/kg, intraperitoneally).Exposure of the lacrimal nerve presented a difficult problem; the most suitable approach consisted in removing the zygomatic arch after detaching the muscles from it. The nerve could then be located on the lateral aspect of the globe (Fig. 1). A ligature was tied round the lacrimal nerve as far centrally as possible and the nerve was cut proximal to the ligature. Further dissection in preliminary experiments had shown that a small branch of the lacrimal nerve supplied the lacrimal gland and that a larger branch appeared to innervate the superficial structures over the orbit. Since, however, section of the larger branch did not appear to modify the response of the lacrimal gland to nerve stimulation, it was left intact. Thus the lacrimal nerve could be exposed and stimulated at a site where it was readily accessible without dissection or exposure of the lacrimal gland.Rectangular wave stimuli of supramaximal intensity and 1.5 msec duration were applied to the peripheral end of the cut lacrimal nerve at frequencies ranging from 2 to 30 shocks/sec through bipolar platinum electrodes covered with liquid paraffin (B.P.). The nerve was stimulated for 5 min at a selected frequency and then allowed to rest for 10 min. This sequence was repeated for each of the frequencies used.The effects of nerve stimulation on lacrimal secretion were compared by a method similar to that described by Schirmer (1909). This consisted of placing into the superior fornix a suitably bent strip of Whatman No. 1 filter paper, 5 mm wide and 5 cm in length. To reduce loss by evaporation, the paper was enclosed in a plastic sheath. The strip was left in situ from the beginning of stimulation until immediately before the next stimulation period (a total of 15 min).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

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confidence: 99%

Lacrimal Secretion in the Cat

Elsby

Wilson

1967

British Journal of Pharmacology and Chemotherapy

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“…4 Mutch reported that infants do not produce tears until a few weeks after birth. 7 Apt and Cullen found that 82% of their noncrying full-term infants had normal tearing at 1 day of age, with the number increasing to 95% by the end of the first week of life. 3 Similarly, Patrick reported that 84% of 212 term infants displayed normal tearing without ocular or nasal irritation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3 Mutch claimed that infants do not produce tears until a few weeks after birth. 7 Spiegler and Mayer, in their study on new-born babies of 34-47 gestational weeks using Schirmer 1 test, showed that babies had an average basal tear production of 5 mm ± 3 mm in 5 minutes. They made a correlation of tear production to body weight and compared this value to the data in adult persons: in this calculation, the prematures had a ten-times higher tear production than adult persons.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 There have not been a well established agreement about the extent of the tear production in preterm infants. [4][5][6][7][8][9] Isenberg et al claimed that premature infants may fail to secrete tears at birth, depending on the degree of prematurity. 6 Apt and Cullen found that 82% of their noncrying full-term infants had normal tearing (defined as at least 15 mm of wetting of the tear test strip in 5 minutes) at 1 day of age, with the number increasing to 95% by the end of the first week of life.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effect of prematurity on tear production

Akar

Cira

Apaydın

et al. 2004

Current Eye Research

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Preterm infants have significantly reduced tear secretion compared with term infants. Postconceptional age, rather than birth weight, seems to be more correlated with the tear secretion. Sex and laterality does not appear to have an effect on tear production in infants. Tear production of preterm infants is significantly reduced than that of term infants during the first two months of life. Term infants increased their tear production significantly in each examination during the neonatal period while the preterms increase tear production significantly only at mean postconceptional age of eight and a half (8.5) months.

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Development of Tearing in Preterm and Term Neonates

Isenberg¹

1998

Arch Ophthalmol

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The Lacrimation Reflex

Cited by 44 publications

References 1 publication

Lacrimal Secretion in the Cat

Lacrimal Secretion in the Cat

The effect of prematurity on tear production

Development of Tearing in Preterm and Term Neonates

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