Evaluation of Lacrimation Characteristics in Clinically Normal New Zealand White Rabbits by Using the Schirmer Tear Test I.

Rabbits are a common animal model in eye research and in safety testing of novel chemical agents. In addition, ocular disease is a routine presentation in clinical practice. However, few studies have quantitatively examined lacrimation kinetics in this species. This study used a noninvasive method of tear measurement (the Schirmer tear test, STT) to quantify values for basal and reflex tearing and to determine the kinetic nature of tear production in 76 New Zealand white rabbits. We obtained a value of 7.58 ± 2.3 mm/min for the standard 1-min STT. Calculated values for mean residual tear volume and reflex tear flow were 1.95 μL and 0.035 μL/s, respectively. In addition, this study provides preliminary evidence for an interaction effect between eyes given that higher STT values were obtained from the second eye tested.