Fibrinolysis in the Anterior Chamber of the Rabbit Eye

Abstract

Hemorrhage into the anterior chamber of the eye is common following trauma or surgery. Cataract formation, blood staining of the cornea, secondary glaucoma, and loss of the affected eye may result. Various fibrinolytic enzymes and adrenal cortical steroids have been used both experimentally and clinically in an attempt to prevent these sequelae. The results of these studies have been conflicting.^1-6 Severe bleeding into the anterior chamber results in a firm fibrin clot. Entrapped in the fibrin are the various formed blood elements. Previous experimental models have utilized red blood cells tagged with Cr⁵¹ to follow the clearance of blood from the eye. However, a firm fibrin clot does not appear to have been formed in many of these studies. The most direct method of measuring lysis of a clot is by tagging the fibrinogen prior to injection into the eye, but it is technically simpler to tag red