title: Integrity of the blood-aqueous barrier in hyperuricemia.
abstract: Neither the origin nor the role of high levels of uric acid, found in the aqueous humor of some human glaucomatous eyes, is known. A model of hyperuricemia in the rat was evaluated for its contribution to urate levels in the aqueous humor. Epinephrine-induced hyperuricemia in male rats was shown to increase mean serum urate levels from 1.2 mg/dL to 6.7 mg/dL. Female rats were shown to have a lower uric acid baseline and a lower absolute hyperuricemic level than males. The mean aqueous-humor urate levels were increased from 0.06 mg/dL to 0.33 mg/dL for male rats. In our studies, the blood-aqueous barrier effectively prevented equilibration between the systemic and ocular compartments. The increased aqueous-humor uric acid levels in glaucoma may arise from intraocular mechanisms.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio.
authors: C H
authors: CH
authors: Bonney
authors: K W
authors: KW
authors: Lam
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Fong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000378:metabolism; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005123:Eye / Q000098:blood supply*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014527:Uric Acid; D004837:Epinephrine