Responses to oxygen deprivation: variations among human corneas.
The cornea's interface with the atmosphere makes it uniquely accessible among avascular tissue for the study of local oxygen demand and proximal reservoir dynamics. Corneal oxygen-uptake rates obtained under normoxic vs hypoxic conditions are not predictive of each other. Proximal tissue reservoirs appear to play a role in moderating oxygen demands following periods of hypoxic stress: as the ratio of epithelia/stromal thickness rises, so does oxygen demand (r = +0.932, P = 0.01). The thickness of the stroma was most closely related to the oxygen uptake rates associated with the normal, open eye (r = +0.773, P = 0.07), whereas the thickness of the epithelium was more closely related to rates obtained after the cornea had been deprived of oxygen (r = +0.783, P = 0.07).
Fink
B A
BA
College of Optometry, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
Carney
L G
LG
Hill
R M
RM
D000328:Adult; D003315:Cornea / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D008839:Microelectrodes; D010100:Oxygen / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption
D010100:Oxygen