Effects of thermal load on ion release of the rabbit vitreous body.

Ion-release of the rabbit vitreous body through a dialysis membrane against water was studied. To evaluate one of thermal changes in the vitreous properties, the vitreous was heated or cooled before dialysis. The average wet weight of the normal vitreous was 1.61 +/- 0.20 g and dry to wet weight ratio was 1.33 +/- 0.04%. The dry weight, sodium, potassium, and chloride concentrations of the vitreous were decreased as an exponential function curve by dialysis. A decreasing ratio was prominent in the heated vitreous, the frozen vitreous and the non-thermo-treated (control) vitreous in turn. Calcium and magnesium release from the rabbit vitreous body was slow and differences among the heated, frozen and non-thermo-treated vitreous bodies were not significant, suggesting some different capture-mechanisms between the monovalent and bivalent ions.