Oxygen Flux Across the In Vivo Rabbit Cornea

Abstract

There is convincing evidence that the cornea obtains a significant portion of its oxygen requirements from the ambient atmosphere.^1-5 Smelser has shown in the human by means of goggles filled with nitrogen and tightly fitted contact lenses that interference with the access of the corneal surface to atmospheric oxygen produces impaired transparency (Sattler's veil) as a result of increased corneal hydration presumably due to interference with oxygen dependent metabolic processes. Early morning edema after prolonged lid closure, seen in certain cases of endothelial dystrophy, and some of the problems of contact lens fitting are clinical examples of the importance of direct utilization of oxygen by the living cornea. At present there is still little quantitative information on this subject although recently, with the adaptation of the oxygen electrode to corneal studies by Hill and Fatt, important advances have been made.⁴ The present study was undertaken to measure the