Cornea nutrition by intravenous glucose infusion

Summary

The supply of the cornea with nutrient metabolites is to a large part dependent on the aqueous humour metabolite levels. A deficiency of glucose was observed in the aqueous humour and consequently in the cornea stroma when the ciliary body was destroyed totally by cyclodiathermy. After the injection of air into the anterior chamber (experimental pupillary bloc), the glucose levels in the cornea were also decreased. In such experiments, it was not possible to raise the low glucose levels of the central cornea by an intravenous glucose infusion, although in normal rabbit eyes, the intravenous glucose infusion resulted rapidly in extremely high glucose levels of the cornea, the aqueous humour and the vitreous. However, when the ciliary body was not completely destroyed, after partial cyclodiathermy, the aqueous humour and the cornea glucose levels did not fall down as far as after total cyclodiathermy. In these experiments, the diminished glucose levels were increased by intravenous glucose infusion above the normal values. The significance of the intravenous glucose infusion for the cornea nutrition in pathological conditions is discussed.