title: Measurement of wettability of the corneal epithelium. I. Particle attachment method.
abstract: Surface wettability of the adult rabbit cornea, as indicated by the epithelium/air surface tension, was estimated from the attachment of particles of several different types from suspension in dimethyl sulphoxide-saline bathing solutions. The mean surface tension of corneas where mucus had been removed by rinsing with N-acetyl cysteine was 67.5 +/- 0.6 mN/m, and for corneas retaining their native covering of mucus was 68.3 +/- 0.8 mN/m. Thus the wettability of the normal cornea does not depend on the presence of mucus to overcome its previously-supposed hydrophobicity. Removal of mucus by wiping gave a damaged surface for which no surface tension could be determined within the range of solution surface tensions studied.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, University of Oxford, Great Britain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tiffany
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000268:Adhesiveness; D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D008722:Methods; D009093:Mucus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D012996:Solutions; D013171:Spores, Bacterial; D013500:Surface Tension
chemical_list: D011137:Polystyrenes; D012996:Solutions; D000111:Acetylcysteine; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide