Capillary Permeability to and Extravascular Dynamics of Myoglobin, Albumin and Gammaglobulin in the Uvea

Abstract

Abstract The dynamics of myoglobin, albumin and gammaglobulin in the tissue fluids of the rabbit eye were studied in two‐isotope experiments to elucidate the mechanisms for transcapillary movement of protein and protein drainage from the eye, the nature of the blood‐aqueous barrier and the way in which extravascular protein may influence the formation of aqueous humor.The permeability of the blood vessels of the choroid and the ciliary processes to myoglobin was 10 to 15 times higher than that to albumin which was about twice that to gammaglobulin.In the tissue fluid of the ciliary processes the turnover rate constant for myoglobin was 25 per cent/min, for albumin it was 3.9 per cent/min and for gammaglobulin 1.6 per cent/min.The extravascular albumin spaces in the ciliary processes and the choroid were 158 μl/g and 165 μ/g respectively.The extravascular albumin spaces were 68 and 57 per cent of the myoglobin spaces in the ciliary processes and the choroid, respectively.The extravascular gammaglobulin spaces were 87, 98 and 117 per cent of the extravascular albumin spaces in the choroid, the ciliary processes and the rest of the anterior uvea, respectively.The methods employed will give new information about the dynamics of the tissue fluids also in tissues with lymph vessels.