Aerobic responses of the cornea to ophthalmic preservatives, measured in vivo.
A micropolarographic system was used to measure the effects of several concentrations of benzalkonium chloride and thimerosal on oxygen uptake by the cornea. Although the threshold of 0.01% found for benzalkonium chloride generally agreed with other criteria (e.g., clinical and histologic) in the current literature, the threshold for thimerosal was somewhat higher, 1.0%, indicating a substantially greater aerobic activity tolerance of the cornea to initial direct exposures of that agent then to benzalkonium chloride.
D000818:Animals; D001548:Benzalkonium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005035:Ethylmercury Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008832:Microchemistry / Q000379:methods; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects*; D011048:Polarography / Q000379:methods; D011817:Rabbits; D013849:Thimerosal / Q000494:pharmacology*
D001548:Benzalkonium Compounds; D005035:Ethylmercury Compounds; D013849:Thimerosal