Ascorbic Acid Determination in Aqueous and Vitreous Humor of the Rabbit

Kim, Dong Hee; Kwak, Hyung Woo; Kim, Jae Myung

Abstract

The function of ascorbic acid in the eye is unknown. It acts mainly as antioxidant, protecting ocular tissue from oxygen free radical released by light. The concentration of ascorbic acid in the aqueous humor of diurnal mammals is considerably higher than its concentration in the plasma. But the exact concentration of ascorbic acid in the vitreous is unknown. We determined the ascorbic acid concentration in serum, aqueous humor and vitreous of the rabbit using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. The concentration of ascorbic acid is 146.8+/-78.0microgram/ml in aqueous humor, and 58.2+/-25.8microgram/ml(R=0.992) in vitreous. There was significant correlation betweenthe concentration of ascorbic acid in the aqueous humor and vitreous from the same eye. And the inter-indivudual difference of ascorbic acid concntration is greater than the inter-cular difference of ascorbic acid concentration. Therefore it probably due to an active secretion and diffusion into posteror aqueous & vitrous.