Desferrioxamine administered intravenously by infusion causes a reduction in the electroretinogram in rabbits anaesthetized with urethane.

In rabbits anaesthetized with urethane, intravenous infusion of the iron-chelating drug desferrioxamine causes a reduction in the amplitude of the electroretinogram. This is most pronounced for weak light intensities, but the change is more complex than a mere reduction in sensitivity. In experiments lasting up to 3 days the effect is reversible and is not accompanied by electron-microscopical histological changes.