Effect of High Oxygen Concentrations on Eyes of Newborn Mice

Abstract

Lesions were produced in the eyes of newborn mice by continuous exposure to 70% O2. These changes, vitreous hemorrhage, proliferation or persistence of the tunica vasculosa lentis, retinal edema, proliferation of the endothelium of retinal vessels, loss of the ganglion cell and inner nuclear layer and spotty distortion of the outer nuclear layer, are suggestive of retrolental fibroplasia in humans. It would appear that too much O2 may be a factor in the development of this disease.