Electrical Potential Profile of the Isolated Frog Cornea

¹ Department of Ophthalmology School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Ky.; Department of Ophthalmology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, of the City University of New York, New York, N.Y. 10029.
² Department of Ophthalmology School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Ky.; Section of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Yale University, Medical School, New Haven, Conn. 06510.
³ Department of Ophthalmology School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Ky.; National Council to Combat Blindness, Inc., New York, N.Y.

With the use of glass microelectrodes the electrical potential profile was determined in the isolated cornea of the frog, Rana catesbiana. The results indicate that the stroma of the cornea is always negative (up to -32 mv.) with respect to both endothelial and epithelial bathing solutions. A model was developed that excluded the epithelium as the location of a previously described chloride pump and indicates that the negativity of the stroma is consistent with the location of the pump only in the endothelium of the cornea. It also indicates that the steadystate concentration of sodium chloride in the stroma is higher than in both Ringer's solutions. The role of this electromotive force in the control of corneal hydration is discussed. The relevance of the transport mechanism in the cornea for its normal degree of hydration and transparency is not as yet completely clear.

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Dr. Candia has a Research Career Development Award from the National Institute of Health, Crant 1-K3-HE-31,791,02.