SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON THE SALT CONTENT OF FRESH AND OLD OX CORNEAE

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The Na content of the corneal extracellular fluid is 15% higher, the K content slightly lower, and the Cl con-tent very slightly lower than the concns., of these substances in the aqueous. The total ion concn. of the extracellular fluid is 334.5 mM./kg. H2O, and that of the aqueous 3i6.6. This increased osmotic power of the cornea may be only apparent, however, because the thermodynamic activity coeff. for the Cl ion in the protein-rich cornea is < 1. After 24 hrs.'' refrigeration the water content of the cornea rises by 260 g./kg. cornea, the Na decreases slightly, the K decreases more markedly, and the Cl increases slightly. The total ion concn. of the extracellular fluid.falls to 319.9 mM/kg. of water but that of the aqueous similarly diminishes. The increased hydration may be predominantly a migration of aqueous into the cornea and not a mere drainage of water from the aqueous. This salt migration via the endothelium probably does not occur in the normal eye, salt exchange being limited to the limbus.
Keywords

This publication has 9 references indexed in Scilit: