Breakdown of the blood--aqueous barrier in the rabbit eye by infrared radiation.

Breakdown of the blood-aqueous barrier was produced by infrared radiation (IR) at a heat flux from 24 to 44 J/cm2 in pigmented, but not in albino rabbits. Blood-aqueous barrier breakdown was inhibited by indomethacin and ketamine/xylazine anesthesia mixtures, but not by [D-Trp2,D-Pro7,9]-substance P. The degree of blood-aqueous barrier breakdown could be controlled by IR flux. Two models for accurate determination of the heat flux are presented.