A Critical Analysis of the Closed System Technique for Lens Culture

Abstract

Introduction The lens has long been recognized as an ideal experimental material for the study of the metabolism and permeability of an organ in vitro. Because of its avascularity and lack of nerve supply, as well as the fact that it is surrounded by a capsule and therefore can be easily removed and manipulated, the lens has been used increasingly in the past 10 years by many investigators. Particular interest has been centered on the technique of lens culture whereby the lens is studied in vitro for considerable periods of time up to several days. It is the purpose of this paper to examine crtically the techniques of lens culture and to point out that a more physiological approach to the study of lens metabolism and permeability can be obtained by using a culture system based on the perfusion technique. Review of Literature One of the earliest attempts to use