title: Ascorbic acid content of human corneal epithelium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the concentration of ascorbic acid in the human corneal epithelium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Corneal epithelium was removed from postmortem eyes 4 to 16 hours after death and ascorbate measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentration of ascorbate was 1.33 +/- 0.48 mg/gm wet weight (mean +/- SD), estimated to be 14 times its concentration in the aqueous humor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ascorbate can protect the basal layer of the epithelium by absorption of incident ultraviolet radiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. brubaker.richard@mayo.edu
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Brubaker
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Bourne
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bachman
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: McLaren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000737:chemistry; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D001205:Ascorbic Acid